Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum sought to reassure the public that the nation is systematically capable of responding to the transmission of the omicron variant of COVID-19 as daily new cases leapt to eclipse 170-thousand on Wednesday.

At a meeting with officials, Kim said that although the public should remain vigilant against the virus, there is no reason to be anxious or frightened by the daily tally alone.

Emphasizing that both the variant's criticality and fatality are at manageable levels, the prime minister added that social distancing could be further eased once the government determines that the situation can be managed in the long term.

Citing that both omicron's critical and fatal case rates are roughly a quarter of the delta strain’s and double those of the seasonal flu, Kim said omicron will likely be the final obstacle towards restoring normalcy in people's lives.