South Korea's daily COVID-19 cases climbed back over 400 after three days below that on Wednesday, ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday next week.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency(KDCA) said Wednesday that 467 new infections were detected throughout the previous day, raising the country's accumulated caseload to 79-thousand-311. 

The daily figure increased by 131 from the previous day and rose back into the 400s amid continued small clusters at hospitals, nursing homes, workplaces and correctional facilities. 

Of the cases detected throughout Tuesday, 433 were local transmissions, while 34 were imported.

More than 300 local cases came from the greater metro area, including 184 in Seoul and 107 in Gyeonggi Province. Other parts of the nation reported 124 cases. 

The death toll rose by six to one-thousand-441 with the average fatality rate at one-point-82 percent. 

The number of critically ill COVID-19 patients stands at 220, down four from the previous day.