The government has indicated the possibility of reviving incentives for those getting COVID-19 vaccines amid the persistence of a fourth wave of the pandemic. 

Bae Gyeong-taek, a senior official of the state vaccination task force, said in a regular media briefing on Thursday that the most assured response to COVID-19 is encouraging and picking up the pace of vaccination, as well as strict adherence to quarantine and social distancing rules. 

As one way of speeding up vaccinations, he said, authorities may consider reinstating incentives at a certain point. 

His remarks echo proposals made by some of the members of a state quarantine committee the previous day. Exempting those vaccinated from certain distancing rules such as bans on private gatherings were mentioned as one possible enticement during the committee meeting. 

The government had earlier prepared a set of incentives for those who received their shots, such as unmasking indoors and eased restrictions on private gatherings, from early July. However, authorities deferred the measures  for Seoul and the greater metro area and later suspended them across the nation following the onset of the latest spike of infections.