Five Army members and two Air Force officers tested positive for the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said Thursday.

Four of the soldiers and the two officers tested positive after either their recent vacation or coming into close contact with civilians who were confirmed to have been infected later, according to the ministry.

The remaining member is a soldier in the southeastern city of Gyeongsan, who had been in isolation after one of his colleagues tested positive, it added.

The new virus cases brought the total number of infections among the military population to 713. Of the total, 675 have been fully cured and 38 are under treatment.

Nationwide, South Korea reported 735 more COVID-19 cases, including 715 local infections, raising the total caseload to 116,661, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. (Yonhap)