South Korea hits pandemic high for daily cases

South Korea has reported a new daily high for coronavirus cases, putting pressure on authorities to extend their toughest distancing rules.

The 1,784 cases confirmed in the previous 24-hour period is the biggest single-day jump since the pandemic began. The new cases brought the country's total to 1,82,265 cases, with 2,060 deaths from COVID-19.

South Korea's daily caseload has been above 1,000 for the past two weeks amid a slow vaccination program, lax public vigilance and the spread of the more contagious Delta variant of the virus. A majority of new cases are in the densely populous Seoul metropolitan area, but officials have recently warned the virus is spreading beyond the capital region.

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum calls the latest numbers ''serious''.