A US soldier wearing a mask is seen walking in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, on June 18. (Yonhap)
The US Department of Defense has lifted travel restrictions on six military bases in South Korea following a review of COVID-19 trends in the country.
According to a Thursday press release, the six bases met the criteria for lifting travel restrictions as of June 29.
The installations are Camp Casey, Camp Henry and Camp Humphreys, as well as the bases in Yongsan, Gunsan and Osan.
In total, restrictions have been lifted for 70 of 231 installations in the US and worldwide with more than 1,000 Defense Department personnel.
The three steps for lifting restrictions are: meeting country criteria, including a 14-day declining trend in symptoms and cases of COVID-19; meeting installation criteria, such as the absence of travel restrictions; and approval by the relevant authority, such as a combatant commander.
On June 12, the Pentagon added South Korea to a list of "green locations" that meet the conditions for lifting travel restrictions.
About 28,500 American troops are currently stationed in South Korea. (Yonhap)