ⓒYONHAP News

South Korea has extended the current social distancing measures by two weeks but eased caps on private gatherings.

Seoul, Incheon and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province will remain under Level Four, the highest in the country's social distancing system, while non-capital areas will stay under Level Three until October 31.

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum announced the decision on Friday in a COVID-19 meeting in Seoul.

Starting Monday, up to eight people can gather in areas under Level Four, including four fully vaccinated people, regardless of whether it is before or after 6 p.m.

Under the Level Three guidelines, up to ten people can gather for private meetings.

The government, which has applied eased quarantine measures on just restaurants and cafes, will apply the same measures on all multi-use facilities from next week.

The government also decided to allow study rooms and study cafes to operate until midnight in areas under Level Four in consideration of students preparing for the college entrance exam in November.