Eighteen people affiliated with the US military, including 13 service members, have tested positive for the new coronavirus upon their arrival in South Korea from the United States, the US Forces Korea (USFK) said Monday.

Ten of them arrived here between Oct. 25-29 on US government-chartered flights, while the others arrived on commercial flights via Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, according to the US military.

Sixteen of them tested positive on their first mandatory COVID-19 test prior to entering quarantine, while the two others tested positive on their second mandatory test, it said.

All USFK-affiliated individuals arriving in South Korea are required to undergo a virus test and are quarantined for 14 days.

Medical personnel administer a second test prior to their release.

The confirmed patients have all been transferred to an isolation facility, and cleaning of all transportation assets and quarantine rooms has been completed, it said.

The latest cases brought the total number of USFK-related infections to 277, most of whom tested positive upon their arrival here. (Yonhap)