The quarantined soldiers, including 400 conscripts, have either visited China, Hong Kong or Macao in the past 14 days or had contact with people who traveled to those places, according to the ministry.

The figure has risen over the past couple of days, as more service personnel were found to have visited places where patients or those who had close contact with them had been present.

"The measure is part of our preemptive efforts. No confirmed or suspected cases have been reported at barracks," ministry spokesperson Choi Hyun-soo told reporters.

As of early Friday, South Korea had 24 confirmed cases.

The military authorities have also adjusted their wintertime drills, which often include loaded marches, to limit the chances of soldiers having contact with civilians, according to the officials.

"We've refrained from carrying out large-scale or long-distance marches. Rather, we've done that in a limited way near each base," an Army officer said.

The Army command had called for such an adjustment but the details can be decided by each unit and it will not affect their readiness posture, he added.