Public Mask Program Extended Until the 11th of Next Month (Update)

Purchase Quantity per Person Expanded from 3 to 10 Starting on the 18th

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] The public mask system will be extended until July 11. Originally, it was scheduled to end on the 30th, the expiration date of the emergency supply adjustment measure, but it is necessary to monitor the market until early next month to ensure a smooth supply of droplet-blocking masks.

On the 16th, Lee Ui-kyung, Commissioner of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, announced at a briefing held in Osong, Chungbuk, "The public mask system will be extended to the legal maximum period of July 11, which is the validity period of the emergency supply adjustment measure notice."

The obligation for producers of health masks to ship to public sales outlets will be maintained until the 30th. The health authorities plan to supply health masks to pharmacies and others using public sales outlet inventory from July 1 to 11.

Commissioner Lee said, "The government plans to closely monitor market trends such as production and sales of health masks and droplet-blocking masks until July 11, and carefully decide on the continuation of the public mask system and the possibility of market function recovery."

The quantity of public mask purchases will be expanded from 3 to 10 per person starting on the 18th. The purchase method remains the same: bringing an official ID that can prove identity, and purchasing either all at once or in installments. Additionally, the duplicate purchase verification system will be maintained.

With the stabilization of supply and demand due to the implementation of the public mask system, the mandatory public supply ratio of health masks will be lowered from over 60% of production to below 50%. Currently, health mask producers must ship at least 60% of their production to public sales outlets.

Commissioner Lee stated, "As demand for health masks decreases in summer while demand for droplet-blocking masks increases, we have decided to lower the mandatory public supply ratio for health mask producers to below 50%."

Surgical masks will continue to have 60% of production mandatorily supplied to medical institutions to ensure stable supply. Droplet-blocking masks will remain excluded from the mandatory public supply target to allow distribution in the private sector as before.

To support international cooperation in COVID-19 response and the overseas expansion of K-quarantine products, the export ratio of health masks will be increased from 10% to 30% of production. Currently, only health mask producers are allowed to export up to 10% of daily production, but limited export volumes have made it difficult to conclude actual export contracts.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety will expand the export allowance to 30% of daily production, considering the current stable production and supply status of health masks and government stockpiles, and will permit exports not only by specialized trading companies but also by general trading companies that have export contracts with producers.

However, surgical masks and droplet-blocking masks will continue to be prohibited from export to prioritize domestic supply.

Commissioner Lee said, "Without the voluntary dedication and efforts of pharmacists nationwide and public mask distribution and sales personnel, it would have been difficult to establish the public mask system early enough to be envied worldwide," and added, "We will continue to identify improvements to the public mask system to minimize inconvenience to the public."