President Moon: "Korea to Become a Global Vaccine Production Hub... Vaccinations Increased to 13 Million in the First Half" (Comprehensive)

Cheong presides over 2nd special COVID-19 prevention inspection meeting... "Vaccine introduction and vaccination proceeding more smoothly than initial plan"

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] President Moon Jae-in pledged administrative and diplomatic support to make South Korea a global hub for COVID-19 vaccine production. Regarding the supply and demand of COVID-19 vaccines, he noted that both vaccine importation and inoculation are proceeding more smoothly than initially planned, hinting at the possibility of raising the vaccination target for the first half of the year to 13 million people.

On the afternoon of the 3rd, President Moon presided over the '2nd Special COVID-19 Response Quarantine Inspection Meeting' at the Blue House and announced these plans.

President Moon said, "Our country is being recognized as a nation that can become a global hub for vaccine production," adding, "If South Korea becomes a global hub country as the optimal site for vaccine production, it will greatly contribute not only to domestic supply but also as a vaccine supply base for Asia and the entire world."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Moon added, "We are a country with the world's second-largest biopharmaceutical production capacity, and currently, three COVID vaccines developed overseas are being produced domestically through consignment or technology transfer. Various cooperation plans are also being discussed for other vaccine products." He instructed the government to provide administrative and diplomatic support to make South Korea a global hub country.

Despite the very serious situation with over 150 million cumulative confirmed cases worldwide, President Moon expressed confidence in the domestic situation.

President Moon said, "The fatality rate is at a very low level incomparable to major countries, making South Korea the country with the lowest COVID risk among nations with populations over 30 million," and added, "The effectiveness of domestically produced therapeutics and the near completion of vaccinations for high-risk groups are also greatly helping."

President Moon also refuted the controversy over the 'vaccine drought' point by point. He stated, "Vaccine importation and inoculation are proceeding more smoothly than originally planned. We have already secured twice the amount of vaccines needed for our population, and the vaccination pace is accelerating, having exceeded the goal of vaccinating 3 million people by the end of April by more than 10%."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

In particular, President Moon emphasized, "If we continue to utilize the vaccine import volumes for each period as effectively as now, I have received reports that the vaccination target for the first half of the year can be raised from 12 million to 13 million people. I urge everyone to make every effort to achieve the goal of herd immunity by November ahead of schedule."

President Moon instructed transparent communication of information to alleviate public anxiety. He explained, "In May, Pfizer vaccines will be stably supplied domestically on a weekly basis, and AstraZeneca vaccines will arrive in larger quantities earlier than originally planned. The government is allocating the imported vaccine volumes between first and second doses most effectively according to a meticulous plan."

Furthermore, President Moon said, "There are 257 vaccination centers nationwide, and starting this month, 14,000 private consignment institutions will also open sequentially," urging, "Please make the most of our excellent private medical resources for vaccination."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Moon emphasized the important role of local governments in vaccine inoculation and called for increasing both autonomy and responsibility to enhance the efficiency and speed of vaccinations.

He also stressed vaccine sovereignty, saying, "Securing vaccine sovereignty is the most important task," and urged, "Please focus boldly on domestic products with high success potential and make every effort so that domestic vaccines developed by our companies can be used next year."

President Moon concluded, "Thanks to successful quarantine measures, our economy is recovering rapidly," and said, "If the people continue to trust the government and cooperate with quarantine and vaccination efforts, we can accelerate the return to our precious daily lives."