Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said on Monday that the government will consider easing more quarantine measures before Lunar New Year if it is confident the virus situation is stabilizing.

The prime minister made the remarks while presiding over a government meeting on COVID-19 responses in Seoul.

Chung said that the government will consider easing additional quarantine rules after monitoring the virus situation this week, calling for citizens' patience and cooperation with the government's quarantine efforts. 

The government on Sunday decided to extend tougher social distancing measures for another two weeks to contain the spread of the virus. 

The prime minister pledged the government's all-out efforts to fight the epidemic and stabilize people's livelihood and restore normalcy in daily life.