Seven soldiers from the same Army base in the central city of Nonsan tested positive for the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said Tuesday.

They were confirmed to have been infected while being in isolation after coming into contact with a colleague who earlier tested positive, according to the ministry.

"All of them tested negative in a test carried out upon their enlistment and have been quarantined at the same space. But one of them tested positive in a second test last week, and six others were also confirmed to have contracted the virus," a ministry official said.

The latest cases raised the total number of infections reported among the military population to 1,002. The confirmed cases at barracks surpassed the 1,000 mark after the military reported its first virus case in January last year.

Nationwide, South Korea reported 374 more virus cases, including 347 local infections, raising the total caseload to 148,647, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.

As of Monday, 197,843 service members, or 47.7 percent of troops aged under 30, have received their first doses of Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine since the military launched the vaccination campaign for the age group last week, according to the ministry. (Yonhap)