K-League fans back at 25 percent capacity as virus controls ease

South Korean football fans will be allowed back into top-flight K-League matches from Friday at 25 percent of stadium capacity following an easing of coronavirus restrictions, the Korean Football Association announced.

Baseball, the country's most popular spectator sport, will see fans return for the first time in almost two months at five scheduled games on Tuesday with a maximum of "low-to-mid 20 percent level" of capacity, the Korea Baseball Organization said.

Spectators had been allowed back in limited numbers in July, only for the doors to close again three weeks later after a spike in infections linked to anti-government rallies in Seoul.

The government eased the ban on spectators at the weekend after daily domestic infections stayed in double figures for two weeks.

South Korea brought its initial outbreak broadly under control with extensive tracing and testing while never imposing a compulsory lockdown.

Baseball spectators will have to follow the same strict safety guidelines as before: sitting at least one seat apart, wearing face masks at all times, drinks limited to water and non-alcoholic beverages and eating while seated banned.  

Beer and chicken -- a mainstay of the Korean baseball-watching experience -- will still be available but only for consumption out of sight of the field with people remain at least one metre apart.

South Korea reported 102 new cases on Tuesday -- 69 domestic and 33 arrivals from overseas -- taking the country's total to 24,805.