Military has 13 infected, 7,500 quarantined

A total of 13 military personnel tested positive for COVID-19, and 7,500 service members were under quarantine as of Monday, the Ministry of National Defense said.

Infected personnel included soldiers, officers and civilian workers; Ten of the patients were in the Army, while the Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps had one each.

The military was notified of its first patient Thursday, when a Navy sailor stationed on Jeju Island contracted the virus after visiting Daegu, one of two COVID-19 clusters where most cases were linked to church services there. The other is nearby North Gyeongsang Province, where a mental hospital was the source of infections.

“We are imposing a more stringent standard in the personnel quarantine as a precaution,” said Moon Hong-sik, deputy spokesperson for the ministry.

Meanwhile, the Military Manpower Administration said it had decided to expand the suspension of conscription nationwide until March 6. The decision would affect about 20,000 applicants. On Friday, the agency first suspended drafting soldiers in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province.

No US service members have tested for COVID-19 in Korea, which hosts about 28,500 American troops.

By Choi Si-young (siyoungchoi@heraldcorp.com)