Jung Sye-kyun "Vaccine Rollout Smooth... 23,000 People Received First Dose"

COVID-19 Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters Meeting

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun is speaking while presiding over the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) meeting for COVID-19 response held at the Government Seoul Office on the morning of the 2nd. March 2, 2021. Photo by Yonhap News

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Son Seon-hee] Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun stated on the 2nd, "The vaccination that began last Friday is progressing smoothly," adding, "As of the day before, 23,086 people have completed their first dose."

On the morning of the same day, Prime Minister Chung chaired the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting at the Government Seoul Office and said, "Considering the three-day holiday, the participation rate in vaccinations on the ground is evaluated to be high," and added, "We hope to accelerate this week so that even one more person can be vaccinated, even one day earlier." He also said, "So far, there have been a total of 156 reported adverse reaction cases, but all have been mild and recovered quickly, which actually proves that there is no problem with the safety of the vaccine."

Prime Minister Chung said, "Contrary to the situation on the ground, fake news surrounding vaccinations is rampant in some parts of society," and added, "The role of the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC) is crucial to quickly delete and block fake news." He then urged the political circles, saying, "The formation of the commission has been delayed for over a month due to disagreements between the ruling and opposition parties over the recommendation of commissioners," and requested, "I ask both the ruling and opposition parties to come together with one heart so that the KCSC can fulfill its role as soon as possible."

Meanwhile, regarding the favorable domestic exports at the beginning of the year despite the COVID-19 crisis, Prime Minister Chung expressed his gratitude, saying, "I deeply thank the businesspeople who have shown the resilience of our economy even in the pandemic situation," and stated, "Vaccines and exports are great forces in our steps toward the two goals of 'restoring daily life and economic rebound.'" He also emphasized, "The foundation of this long journey is always quarantine," and said, "The government will return to its original intention and faithfully adhere to the basics of quarantine."