South Korean President Moon Jae-in and first lady Kim Jung-sook receive coronavirus vaccines in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, March 23.
South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in received AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine Tuesday ahead of an overseas trip, as the country began inoculating more senior citizens and health workers in an effort to accelerate its vaccination drive.
Moon, 68, got the shot from a community clinic near his office in Seoul to prepare for a planned visit to the United Kingdom for a G7 summit in June.
First lady Kim Jung-sook and nine aides who will accompany him on the trip, including National Security Advisor Suh Hoon, were also vaccinated, his office said in a statement.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has invited South Korea, India and Australia to attend the summit as guests.
South Korea’s government Tuesday began inoculating nearly 300,000 people at care hospitals and nursing homes who are 65 or older and medical workers there as it steps up its vaccination drive.
About 680,000 high-risk healthcare professionals and critically ill people have been vaccinated since the campaign kicked off at the end of February, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
Authorities aim to inoculate nearly a quarter of the country’s 52 million population by June and achieve herd immunity by November amid a third wave of COVID-19 outbreaks.
South Korea has reported more than 99,400 COVID-19 cases and more than 1,700 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University