President Moon Jae-in on Thursday ordered the mobilization of an aerial refueling and transport aircraft to provide swift medical support for the South Korean troop members abroad infected with COVID-19, his office said.

The president issued the message in connection with the report that six crew members in a mission aboard the country's naval destroyer operating off the coast of Africa have tested positive for the virus. They belong to the anti-piracy and counterterrorism Cheonghae Unit, of which operating area includes the Strait of Hormuz as well.

Moon instructed the military to mobilize an "aerial refueling and transport aircraft as speedily as possible" for the dispatch of virus control and medical workers, as well as relevant equipment and goods, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Park Kyung-mee.

Moon also ordered it to bring the infected soldiers swiftly back home in case that the local conditions for treatment are not good, she added. (Yonhap)