American soldier at Seongnam air base tests positive for COVID-19

An American service member stationed at an air base in Seongnam, south of Seoul, has tested positive for the new coronavirus, the US Forces Korea said Tuesday.

The soldier at K-16 Air Base was confirmed on Monday as having contracted COVID-19 following direct contact with a person who tested positive earlier, according to the US military.

“KDCA and USFK health professionals are actively conducting contact tracing to determine whether anyone else may have been exposed to these individuals, and to identify and ensure all known on-post and off-post facilities visited by the individuals are thoroughly cleaned,” the US military said in a release. KDCA stands for the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.

The soldier is currently at an isolation facility at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, south of the capital.

The latest case raised the total number of infections reported among the USFK-related population to 740. (Yonhap)