Sunday's number meant new cases in South Korea, which has so far fared better than many industrialised nations in case numbers and deaths, have topped 1,100 a day for nearly two weeks in an outbreak stoked by a surge in highly transmissible Delta variant cases.
So far, South Korea has recorded 179,203 cases and 2,058 deaths. Some 31.4% of its 52 million population has received at least one dose of vaccine, while 12.7% have been fully vaccinated.
Helped largely by vaccinations of the elderly and the vulnerable, the latest surge in case numbers has yet to be accompanied by a significant increase in hospitalisations or deaths, with a mortality rate of 1.15% and the number of severe cases at 185 as of Sunday.
Citing military sources, Yonhap news agency reported none of the affected personnel aboard the destroyer were classified as severe cases, though one person has developed conditions that require close observation.
The defence ministry had said noone aboard the destroyer had been vaccinated as the unit had left the country in February, before a vaccination campaign began for military personnel.