Two Air Force officers and an Army soldier have tested positive for the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said Tuesday.

The officers, based in the southern city of Sacheon, were confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 after coming into contact with a person at their base who tested positive earlier, according to the ministry.

They have been in isolation following the earlier virus case and were confirmed infected in a test required to exit quarantine.

The Army soldier tested positive while on vacation in Ansan, 42 kilometers south of Seoul, ahead of his planned discharge from the military after a family member was infected, the ministry said.

The latest cases raised the total number of infections reported among the military population to 551.

Nationwide, South Korea reported 336 additional virus cases Tuesday, bringing the total caseload to 78,844. (Yonhap)