Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum has refuted claims that government quarantine measures against COVID-19 have failed, calling such criticism an insult to the Korean people.

Attending a ceremony to mark the Day of Commerce and Industry on Tuesday, Kim said Korea has the highest number of infections at the moment but the surge came last in the world.

He said when an unidentified infectious disease sweeps the world, what's most important is slowing its spread. Kim argued that South Korea delayed that speed more than others and mentioned the fatality rate recording one tenth of other countries.

The prime minister said that criticism of failed quarantine based only on the current caseload is unacceptable and an insult to the Korean public. 

He said efforts made by medical workers, citizens and small businesses as they strive to ride out the pandemic must not be distorted or belittled.

Kim also noted that the Korean society and economy did not once came to a full stop during the fight against COVID-19 that has continued for over two years.