Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said Sunday that the government is "seriously" considering toughening the social distancing scheme for the greater Seoul area and the eastern province of Gangwon as new coronavirus cases have risen sharply.

During a government anti-pandemic meeting, Chung also said that the government has issued a "preliminary warning" for the two regions ahead of enforcing tougher social distancing measures.

"Despite the global pandemic shaping up to be the worst, our country has been faring relatively better but the upward trend of the virus appears to be showing unusual signs recently," Chung said.

South Korea reported 208 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, the second straight day that the number has exceeded the 200 mark. It also represented the eighth consecutive day that the number has stayed in the triple digits.

Of the total, Seoul reported 81 cases, and Gyeonggi Province that surrounds the capital city reported 41. The two areas are home to around half of South Korea's population of 51 million. Gangwon Province also confirmed 19 additional cases on Sunday.

With the daily virus cases on the rise in recent days, the government has been considering raising its current Level 1 social distancing rule by one notch to Level 1.5 that will restrict the number of public gatherings and toughen the overall anti-pandemic measures.

The government has maintained the current social distancing level since early this month after it introduced a new five-tier scheme, though some local areas have already upped their own preventive measures to stem the rise in virus cases.

Chung urged citizens to wear masks and strictly follow other government-recommended anti-pandemic measures, saying that tougher social distancing would restrict ordinary daily activities again and hurt the local economy. (Yonhap)