The military plans to complete giving the first doses of coronavirus vaccines to service members aged 30 or older in the next two weeks, the defense ministry said Tuesday, amid sporadic infections reported in barracks across the country.

Starting Wednesday, 126,000 service members over the age of 30 will receive AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine shots in a full-fledged launch of a vaccination campaign in the military, the ministry said.

"Our plan is to wrap up vaccinating those age 30 or older as soon as possible, by the first week of May, but as there is a possibility of a delay, our goal is to complete the inoculation in the next two weeks," ministry spokesman Boo Seung-chan said during a regular press briefing.

South Korea began a nationwide vaccine campaign in February, but among the military population, only some 2,400 military doctors and other health care workers have received the vaccine shots so far.

Boo said consultations are under way with health authorities to decide on a separate inoculation plan for service members under age 30.

The planned launch of vaccinations comes as the military struggles to contain the spread of the new coronavirus, with hundred of troops in quarantine.

Five additional service members have tested positive for the new coronavirus, according to the ministry on Tuesday.

An airman, a Marine and an Army soldier -- respectively based in the central city of Cheongju, the western border island of Baengnyeong and Goyang, north of Seoul -- have tested positive during or after vacation.

A Navy officer based on the southern island of Jeju tested positive after showing symptoms. Some 200 people who had contact with the officer have all tested negative.

In Seoul, another service member tested positive after an acquaintance was found to be infected with the virus. Virus tests are under way on the individual's colleagues, the ministry said.

The latest cases raised the total number of infections reported among the military population to 773.

Nationwide, South Korea reported 512 more infections Tuesday, bringing the total caseload to 119,898. (Yonhap)