PRESIDENT MOON ON VACCINE PURCHASE

[Anchor Lead]

President Moon Jae-in has instructed his administration to buy more COVID-19 vaccine doses to curb the outbreak. He urged authorities to devise plans on verifying the safety of vaccines and to start the vaccination as soon as possible.

[Pkg]

President Moon Jae-in inspected the COVID-19 situation in the Seoul metropolitan area, and described it as "serious." He instructed his administration to secure more vaccine doses.

[Soundbite] PRES. MOON JAE-IN : "People's safety and lives must come before financial concerns."

He pointed out that while 44 million doses are enough for herd immunity, the vaccines were developed in a short period of time and their safety must be verified thoroughly to prevent any mishaps. Moon also emphasized as many people as possible must be able to receive vaccination free of charge or at an affordable price. The president urged authorities to devise plans on starting inoculation as soon as possible, which is as important as ensuring the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines.

[Soundbite] "I urge you to expedite the process so that vaccination can begin quickly once the vaccines arrive in Korea."

Moon asked officials to devise measures to secure more ICU beds.

[Soundbite] "Secure more ICU beds and quarantine centers as soon as possible so that infected people can receive treatment immediately."

He asked local governments to consider preemptive epidemiological investigations to ensure swift response.