The daily COVID-19 increase in the southwestern city of Gwangju peaked at a record high of 39 amid clusters with no known route of infection.

According to the city government, there were 39 new cases on Wednesday, followed by an additional 15 as of Thursday morning.

It is the highest-ever number of cases to be recorded in the city since its first COVID-19 case was reported on February 3.

Thirty out of the latest 54 cases are linked to a local church attended by a person who took part in an anti-government rally in Seoul's Gwanghwamun Square on August 15.

There are two additional clusters, one at a table tennis club and another at a cleaning service company, neither of which has a known origin.

City officials are expected to discuss whether to raise social distancing to Level Three or to restrict contact at facilities frequented by many people under Level Two.