Five more soldiers, 1 Marine test positive for COVID-19

Five more soldiers and a Marine have tested positive for the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said Saturday.

Three Army officers and a Marine officer at the Sangmudae Artillery School in the southwestern county of Jangseong were confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 before their release from quarantine following a series of infections at their base, according to the ministry.

In the northeastern county of Hwacheon, a soldier and an officer were also confirmed to have been infected with the virus.

The latest infections brought the total number of virus cases among the military to 449.

Nationwide, South Korea reported a record high of 950 new coronavirus cases Saturday, bringing the total caseload to 41,736. (Yonhap)