Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said Wednesday that those who were hospitalized for adverse vaccine effects will be exempt from the COVID-19 pass system. 

Kim revealed the plan while presiding over a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters. 

He said there is no predetermined answer to what the scope and level of exemptions should be, adding the government will be flexible in managing
related policies to reduce confusion and discomfort and enhance public acceptance. 

His remarks were made a day before the government is set to announce a widened scope of people eligible for exemption from the COVID-19 pass system. 

Currently, people granted exemptions are those who have just recovered from COVID-19 and those who have been prohibited from getting their second shot after suffering an adverse reaction from the first. Additionally, those who cannot be vaccinated due to immune deficiency or because they are taking immunosuppressive drugs are exempt.

Earlier, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency(KDCA) said people with the autoimmune disorder Guillain-Barré Syndrome or who have blood clots in the brain, called cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, may be added to the list.