Hong Nam-ki: "Conditional Approval for Self-Test Kits to Be Announced Soon... Active Support for Development"

COVID-19 Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters Meeting

Hong Nam-ki, Acting Prime Minister, is speaking at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH) meeting for COVID-19 response held at the Government Seoul Office on April 23, 2021. Photo by Yonhap News.

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Son Seon-hee] Hong Nam-ki, Acting Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister for Economy, announced on the 23rd, "The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety is scheduled to decide today on whether to grant 'conditional approval' for two types of self-test kits to be used temporarily until formal approval is obtained, and will announce the results unless there are special circumstances."

Acting Prime Minister Hong presided over the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting for COVID-19 at the Government Seoul Office in the morning and said, "We will actively support the development of various self-test kits so that the public can have easier access to self-testing opportunities." However, he added, "If PCR testing is considered a microscopic observation with 100% accuracy, self-test kits can be compared to visual inspection tests with a difference in accuracy. Therefore, the public should use self-test kits as a supplementary testing method."

The daily number of confirmed COVID-19 cases, which had been hovering between 600 and 700 recently, is expected to approach 800 as of the previous day, maintaining concerns about the fourth wave. Acting Prime Minister Hong stated, "We must never let our guard down as the number of cases can surge at any moment."

He particularly mentioned recent cases where some entertainment bars were caught secretly operating in violation of quarantine rules, emphasizing, "Non-compliance with quarantine rules makes controlling the spread difficult, and if the situation is not properly managed, it will lead to stronger quarantine measures and additional inconveniences for the public." He stressed, "It is essential to remind everyone once again that strictly adhering to quarantine rules for the community is the basic and most urgent request."