Six Army soldiers and three Marines have tested positive for the new coronavirus, raising the total caseload reported among the military population to 1,723, the defense ministry said Friday.

The three Marines in Gimpo, west of Seoul, were confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 after an infection was reported at their base, according to the ministry.

Among the Army soldiers, five -- one from the eastern county of Inje, two from the western city of Incheon and one each from Paju, north of Seoul, and the southwestern county of Muan -- have tested positive during or after a vacation, while one officer in the border county of Yeoncheon was found to have been infected after coming into contact with a colleague who tested positive earlier.

Nationwide, South Korea's daily coronavirus cases reached an all-time high of 2,434 on Friday, as mass migrations during the Chuseok holiday prompted a rapid spread of the virus across the country. The nation's total caseload stood at 295,132. (Yonhap)