Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum has apologized for a recent spate of vaccine administration errors. 

In a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters on Friday, Kim said he is sorry for the public anxiety caused as he instructed officials to reinforce training of medical personnel. 

On Monday, 40 people who were supposed to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine as their second shot instead received Moderna. Cross vaccinations with AstraZeneca and Moderna are not allowed in South Korea. Earlier this month, ten people received five to six times the required amount of the Pfizer vaccine. 

Despite the errors, Kim said inoculation, along with strict social distancing measures, is the only solution to overcome the fourth wave of the pandemic. 

The prime minister also downplayed criticism of the government’s quarantine policies, saying that the nation would have been in a much more difficult position without the intensive quarantine measures. 

He said that given a surge in cases in countries where vaccination rates are higher than South Korea’s, the government’s efforts regarding the pandemic are not ineffective. 

Pointing to a six-percent decline in people traveling across the country last week from the previous week, the prime minister noted that time is needed before the nation sees the impact of social distancing changes. 

If people thoroughly abide by quarantine rules, Kim said, the fourth wave of the pandemic will be overcome.