More than 400 members of a major umbrella labor union held a rally Friday in Wonju, Gangwon Province, in defiance of the government's calls for restraint to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions staged the protest outside the National Health Insurance Service building.

They demanded the agency directly employ its call center workers rather than through a third party.

The government had urged the KCTU to call off the protest, warning of stern punishment for violators of antivirus rules.

Wonju raised its social distancing guidelines at midnight Friday to the second-highest Level 3, banning all demonstrations involving more than one person.

On July 3, around 8,000 people came together in central Seoul for a rally despite virus concerns.

According to officials, three of the participants were later confirmed to be infected with COVID-19.