Acting Prime Minister Hong Nam-ki said the government has secured 192 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, or enough to inoculate 99 million people. 

In a statement to the nation on Monday, Hong said that through these vaccines the government has laid the foundation to move up the timeline for herd immunity. 

Hong made the remarks after explaining that the government has secured additional Pfizer vaccines for 20 million people.

The acting prime minister said the government plans to inoculate three million people by the end of this month and more than 12 million people in the first half of the year. 

He stressed that the government will smoothly achieve herd immunity by November through inoculating 70 percent of the population, or 36 million people, adding that the government will complete providing the first dose of vaccines to that amount by the end of September.