S. Korea reports 153 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday

국내 코로나 환자 수 100대 중반으로... 경기도에서 집단 감염 속출Our top story this lunchtime.South Korea saw an increase in the number of new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, just days after easing the social distancing measures in the capital region to level 2.Kim Yeon-seung reports.South Korea reported 153 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, a slight jump after three days of around 100 cases.Of the infected cases, 145 were local infections and more than 80 percent were from the densely populated capital region.People aged 60 and above made up more than 40-percent of the cases.And around a quarter of all cases are untraceable.Infections in the greater Seoul area have climbed back into triple digits after being below 100 for 5 straight days.Cluster infections emerging from care facilities, churches, and workplaces have contributed to the capital region's rise in numbers.At least 10 cases emerged on Thursday at a Kia Motors factory in Gyeonggi-do Province.The automaker has temporarily closed down its plant, which employs 6,000 workers.Five new deaths have been reported in the country, bringing the death toll to 372.Health authorities are worried that the Korean thanksgiving holiday of Chuseok, which starts from late September, could lead to the further spread of the virus around the country.Kim Yeon-seung, Arirang News