A COVID-19 testing center in Seoul is empty on Sunday. (Yonhap)

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases hit the lowest tally in eight months Monday amid a gradual virus downtrend.

The country reported 4,026 new COVID-19 infections, including 15 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 30,502,904, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said.

The virus has been spreading more slowly, despite the removal of the indoor mask mandate late last month.

Monday's tally is down 298 from the previous week and is less than half of the total caseload reported a day earlier, the KDCA data showed. It is the lowest daily tally since June 27, when the country reported 3,419 cases.

South Korea added 15 deaths, bringing the death toll to 33,961. The number of critically ill patients stood at 163, up from the previous day's 168.

The KDCA also said it will announce the daily caseloads for Sundays and holidays the next day, starting Monday, to reflect the stabilizing trend in infections. (Yonhap)