Unabated COVID-19 Cases Among ROK-US Soldiers

It has been reported that South Korea and the United States will begin joint military exercises starting on the 5th. The photo shows a US 2nd Infantry Division M1A2 SEP tank crossing a pontoon bridge during the South Korea-US joint river crossing operation training held at the Hantan River in Yeoncheon-gun, Gyeonggi Province, in December 2015.

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] The number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) among U.S. Forces Korea personnel and South Korean military personnel is not decreasing.

According to the Ministry of National Defense on the 13th, one more COVID-19 case was confirmed at the Army Recruit Training Center in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. The confirmed trainee was classified as a contact and developed symptoms while in isolation, leading to a diagnostic test that confirmed a positive result. As a result, the cumulative number of confirmed cases at the Paju Recruit Training Center reached 28 since the first case was reported on the 31st of last month. No new COVID-19 cases were reported at other military units on the same day, bringing the total number of confirmed cases within the military to 1,545.

U.S. Forces Korea personnel and their families were also confirmed positive. Nine individuals, including U.S. Forces Korea personnel and their families who recently arrived in South Korea, tested positive. They entered through Osan Air Base or Incheon International Airport between the 31st of last month and the 10th of this month. Two tested positive immediately upon arrival, and seven were confirmed positive during a second test conducted during the quarantine period. All were transferred to COVID-19 dedicated isolation facilities at Pyeongtaek or Osan bases. This brings the cumulative number of confirmed cases related to U.S. Forces Korea to 1,210.

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