The South Korean government will relax social distancing rules and allow private gatherings of up to six people in the greater Seoul area from the current four starting on July 1, Reuters reports.

Under the revised rules, restaurants, nightlife venues and cafes will be allowed to open for business until 12am, versus 10pm currently.

"The new social distancing system is an effort to find a balance between quarantine and daily life recovery amid the prolonged Covid-19 pandemic," Health Minister Kwon Deok-cheol said in a televised briefing.

Unless daily infections spike significantly, the government plans to allow gatherings of up to eight people in the greater Seoul area from July 15, he said.