New COVID-19 Cases Triple in One Day, Back to Three Digits After Five Days...

Concerns Over COVID-19 Resurgence After Chuseok Holiday
113 New Cases, 93 Locally Transmitted
10 Cases Accumulated at Defense Industry Company in Seongnam, Gyeonggi, Capital Region

On the 29th, a notice regarding the ban on indoor seating operation during the Chuseok holiday was posted at the Mannam Square rest area on the Gyeongbu Expressway heading towards Busan in Seocho-gu, Seoul. From this day until the 4th of next month, for a total of six days, indoor seating at all expressway rest area stores managed by Korea Expressway Corporation will be prohibited to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and only takeout will be allowed. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] On the first day of the Chuseok holiday, the number of new confirmed cases of COVID-19 rose back to triple digits after five days.

Compared to the previous day’s 38 cases, which was the lowest number in 49 days since August 11 (34 cases), the number of confirmed cases nearly tripled in just one day.

Concerns are growing that COVID-19 could spread again as movement began from the afternoon of the previous day, not only among returning holiday travelers but also those visiting tourist destinations.

The Central Disease Control Headquarters announced that as of midnight, 113 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed, bringing the total to 23,812. This is 75 more cases than the previous day (38 cases).

Looking at the trend of new confirmed cases, after the cluster infections in the metropolitan area intensified in mid-last month, the number once surged to the 400s, then gradually decreased to the 300s and 200s. From the 3rd to the 19th, the number stayed in the 100s for 17 consecutive days and has recently fluctuated around 100.

Among the 113 new confirmed cases on this day, 93 were locally transmitted and 20 were imported. By region, 51 cases were in Seoul, 21 in Gyeonggi, and 4 in Incheon, totaling 76 cases in the metropolitan area. The number of locally transmitted cases in the metropolitan area is about 4.5 times higher than the previous day’s 17 cases.

On the 29th, one day before the Chuseok holiday, a notice regarding train usage guidelines during the Chuseok period was installed at Seoul Station. Photo by Mun Honam munonam@

Major infection cases reported as of noon the previous day include new cluster infections in the metropolitan area such as a defense industry company in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province (total 10 cases) and 'Dana Hospital,' a psychiatric specialty hospital in Dobong-gu, Seoul (2 cases). At Dana Hospital, 28 additional cases were confirmed afterward, leading health authorities to impose cohort isolation (group quarantine) on the entire hospital. Additionally, existing clusters such as a music academy in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province (13 cases), a senior citizens’ gathering room in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province (12 cases), and Dong-A University Bumin Campus in Busan (16 cases) also reported new confirmed cases.

The number of imported cases increased by 5 from the previous day to 20. Among the imported cases, 5 were detected during quarantine inspections at airports or ports, while the remaining 15 tested positive during self-quarantine at their residences or temporary living facilities in Gyeonggi (5), Chungnam (4), Daejeon and North Gyeongsang (2 each), and Daegu and Jeonbuk (1 each).

Regarding the presumed countries of origin, Uzbekistan accounted for the most with 10 cases, followed by Nepal with 3, Malaysia with 2, and the Philippines, Indonesia, Iraq, Poland, and the United States with 1 case each. Of these, 5 were Korean nationals and 15 were foreigners.

On the 29th, one day before the Chuseok holiday, a social distancing notice related to COVID-19 prevention is posted at the Express Bus Terminal in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

The number of deaths increased by 6 from the previous day, totaling 413. The domestic average fatality rate is 1.73%. The number of patients whose condition worsened to severe or critical stages after being confirmed with COVID-19 decreased by 6 from the previous day, totaling 109.

The number of patients released from isolation increased by 120, bringing the total to 21,590. The number of patients currently in isolation and receiving treatment decreased by 13 to 1,809.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.