Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun has been inoculated with AstraZeneca vaccine amid lingering concerns over its safety. 

Chung was given his first shot of AstraZeneca on Friday at a public health center in Jongno District, Seoul, where President Moon Jae-in and first lady Kim Jung-sook also received their first AstraZeneca doses on Tuesday. 

Saying the shot did not hurt and is no different from flu shots, the 71-year-old prime minister stressed the importance of COVID-19 vaccination for the nation to swiftly get back to normal. 

He said vaccination has nothing to do with politics but science and is needed not only for themselves but also for their families and neighbors, urging the public to get shots as soon as possible. 

Health Minister Kwon Deok-cheol and Interior Minister Jeon Hae-cheol, who accompanied the prime minister, also received their first AstraZeneca doses.