A service member undergoes a coronavirus test at a temporary COVID-19 test center at Seoul Station on March 1, 2021. (Yonhap)
Two Army soldiers and a Marine have tested positive for the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said Thursday.
A newly enlisted soldier in Yangju, north of Seoul, was confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 in a virus test conducted prior to release from quarantine, according to the ministry.
Another soldier in the southwestern town of Imsil and a Marine in the western border island of Yeonpyeong also tested positive before release from quarantine after a vacation, the ministry said.
The latest cases raised the total number of infections reported among the military population to 661.
Nationwide, South Korea reported 551 new cases Thursday as health authorities struggled to slow down the spread of the virus amid loosened vigilance against the pandemic. The total caseload stood at 103,639. (Yonhap)