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A South Korean doctor has faced a backlash after suggesting people who are yet to catch Covid-19 probably do not have friends, The Independent reports.

“The adults who have not yet been infected with Covid-19 are those who have interpersonal problems," Ma Sang-hyuk, who is vice-president of the Korean Vaccine Society, wrote on Facebook.

He reportedly deleted the 16 March post following the backlash before saying that the remark was only metaphorical and there had been a misunderstanding.

In an interview with South Korean news site Daily, he said: “It emphasized how difficult it is for anyone to avoid the virus in a situation where there is a high rate of confirmed cases in the area.”

On the day the doctor made his comments South Korea recorded 400,741 new Covid cases while the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KCDA) warned that the Omicron variant is driving the record wave of infections.

Despite the numbers, the government shows no sign of rethinking plans to remove almost all social distancing restrictions in coming days and weeks, and public opinion appears to support those moves.

Nearly 63 per cent of the country's 52 million residents had received booster shots, with 86.6 per cent of the population fully vaccinated, the KDCA said.