The daily COVID-19 increase in South Korea, which slowed down to the 300s earlier this week, tallied close to 500 amid a cluster linked to a network of unaccredited schools run by a religious group.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency(KDCA) said as of 12:00 a.m. Thursday, 497 additional people tested positive, raising the country's cumulative total to 76-thousand-926.

Out of the new cases, 479 were local infections, with 221 of those from outside the capital area, reflecting the cluster linked to the IM missionary society.

One-hundred-76 people have so far tested positive in connection to the group’s boarding school in the central city of Daejeon, with another 147 linked to additional educational and religious facilities belonging to IM.

Infections from the group are expected to surge as the government inspects relevant facilities nationwide and conducts tests.

The latest situation will likely determine the government's adjustment of the current social distancing of Level Two-point-Five in the capital area and Level Two in other regions, as well as a ban on gatherings of five or more people, to be announced this weekend.