Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun on Tuesday urged public servants to maintain the utmost level of readiness against COVID-19, warning those who contract the virus by not complying with distancing rules will face grave disciplinary measures.

"In cases of slack discipline in the public sector, such as cases where public office workers test positive by not complying with antivirus measures, we will gravely seek disciplinary measures," Chung said during a Cabinet meeting at the government complex in Seoul.

Chung noted that the year-end holiday period is when the public sector could fall prey to weaker discipline, especially from the accumulated fatigue over dealing with the pandemic throughout the year.

The prime minister ordered the public sector to actively adopt at-home remote work and refrain from holding in-person meetings, business trips and after-hour gatherings among co-workers.

Chung also reminded officials to mobilize full disease-control capacities to ensure next month's nationwide College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) is held safely.

"(CSAT) isn't simply just a college entrance exam but a major national event during which essentially the entire people, including test takers and their families, anxiously root and pray for (test takers)," said Chung.

The education ministry announced last week that it will closely monitor cram schools and other business establishments used by young students to see whether they operate under strict antivirus measures until the end of the CSAT slated for Dec. 3.

More than 490,000 high school students and others plan to take the exam simultaneously at designated places across the country. (Yonhap)