South Korean President Moon Jae-in has voiced guarded hope over a slower rate of increase in coronavirus infections but warned against too much optimism, as the Foreign Ministry urged countries to reconsider travel restrictions or bans on South Korea.

The total number of infections rose to 7,478, with 53 deaths recorded. Only 165 new cases were reported yesterday - the lowest in two weeks after daily figures started falling last Saturday.

This downward trend "must be maintained", Mr Moon said during a meeting with key aides, as he urged people to continue cooperating with the authorities.

He also warned that small clusters of infections were still emerging, so it was not time to be overly optimistic or let the guard down.

More than 60 per cent of South Korea's cases have been linked to a branch of the secretive Shincheonji Church of Jesus in the south-eastern city of Daegu. New cases started spiking when health officials embarked on extensive testing of all Shincheonji's 200,000 members, but appear to be falling now that this is finished.

But the number of countries and territories that have imposed travel restrictions on South Korea continues to grow. Island nations Grenada and Barbados joined the list yesterday, bringing the total to 106.

Japan also suspended its visa waiver programme for South Koreans yesterday and began asking people travelling from the country to quarantine themselves for 14 days, while Seoul, in a tit-for-tat move, also ended visa-free entry for Japanese tourists. Tokyo's move forced organisers of K-pop concerts in Japan to cancel shows scheduled for this and next month, including Korean boy band Super Junior's upcoming gig in Saitama.

South Korean Vice-Foreign Minister Lee Tae-ho told foreign media yesterday that his country has not imposed any travel ban other than that on China's Hubei province. Such bans are "not effective and can make things worse by fuelling a sense of complacency", he noted, adding that the South was complying with World Health Organisation guidelines not to restrict movement of people in health emergencies.

Tourism has borne the brunt of the outbreak, with passengers using Incheon airport falling to a record low of 21,241 yesterday, from a daily average of 187,000 in 2018.

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry has warned it can impose fines of up to 10 million won (S$11,500) on patients who lie about their personal data or travel history. This came after a 78-year-old patient in Seoul gave false information about her address and other details.