'The Politics of Vaccines'... The Flame That Won't Die Out Despite the Blue House's Counterattack

Rising Controversy Over COVID-19 Vaccine in Yeo, Criticism Continues Despite Blue House Explanation... Vaccine-Related National Risk, Detailed Explanation of Negotiation Process Also Difficult

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] Despite the Blue House's involvement in the controversy over the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) vaccine, the flames of the controversy seem to be growing rather than subsiding.

On the 23rd, the Blue House and the ruling party are struggling to manage the COVID-19 vaccine controversy. Although the Blue House released President Moon Jae-in's COVID-19 vaccine-related directives from April 9 to December 8 the day before, urging to "stop politicizing the vaccine," criticism from the opposition party continues.

Yoon Hee-sook, a member of the People Power Party, wrote on Facebook that day, "Are you trying to say that even though the president gave instructions more than 10 times, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency did not listen? The president is the head of the executive branch," criticizing the Blue House's explanation.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Blue House is closely monitoring this shift in public opinion. Rather than providing additional explanations about the COVID-19 vaccine issue, it appears to be on high alert for changes in the situation. Inside the Blue House, there is also a sense of discomfort about turning the COVID-19 vaccine into a political battleground. This implies that approaching the COVID-19 issue as a matter of political advantage or disadvantage is inappropriate.

The Blue House's stance is that to avoid a repeat of the rapid increase in confirmed cases in the Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions during the early stages of the COVID-19 crisis, it is necessary to identify confirmed cases based on a broad net.

According to the Blue House, including suspected patient tests and tests conducted at temporary screening clinics in the metropolitan area, more than 100,000 people are tested daily. The reason for about 1,000 confirmed cases is not unrelated to the increase in the number of COVID-19 tests.

As the spread of the third wave of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in South Korea shows no signs of slowing down, medical staff are collecting specimens at a temporary screening clinic set up in Seoul Station Plaza on the 23rd. The Central Disease Control Headquarters announced that as of midnight on the same day, the number of new confirmed cases in the country increased by 1,092, bringing the total to 52,550. This marks an increase of 223 cases from the previous day, rising back to over 1,000 cases for the first time in three days since the 20th (1,097 cases). Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

The problem is that unless the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases dramatically decreases, the vaccine controversy will continue to function as a national risk that constrains the Moon administration. The vaccination status in major countries and the resulting reduction in COVID-19 risk may also influence public opinion trends. This is because it can be linked to the government's policy failures regarding securing COVID-19 vaccines.

There are criticisms that by emphasizing the ease of securing AstraZeneca vaccines, which are contract-produced domestically, the government has fallen behind in the competition to secure foreign-produced vaccines such as Pfizer and Moderna. In terms of vaccine development, the delay in AstraZeneca's U.S. clinical trials and the relatively faster progress of Pfizer and Moderna have ultimately worked to Korea's disadvantage.

Professor Lee Jae-gap of Hallym University’s Department of Infectious Diseases analyzed in an interview with CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' that "AstraZeneca was expected to complete clinical trials in October, but they stopped midway and postponed it to December. Meanwhile, Pfizer and Moderna caught up and overtook, which made it very difficult for the government to make decisions."

As the spread of the third wave of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in South Korea shows no signs of slowing down, citizens lined up in long queues at a temporary screening clinic set up at Seoul Station Plaza on the 23rd, waiting for their turn. The Central Disease Control Headquarters announced that as of midnight on the same day, the number of new confirmed cases in the country increased by 1,092, bringing the total to 52,550. This marks an increase of 223 cases from the previous day, rising back to over 1,000 cases for the first time in three days since the 20th (1,097 cases). Photo by Kim Hyun-min

The Blue House's call to stop politicizing the vaccine itself has, paradoxically, acted as a spark for the controversy. The opposition party was looking for an opportunity to highlight the government's failures ahead of the Seoul and Busan mayoral by-elections on April 7 next year, and the Blue House provided material for political disputes. Following the controversies over the disciplinary action against Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl and real estate instability, the Blue House now faces another national risk that has shaken the year-end political landscape.

Another reason why the Blue House finds it difficult to actively respond to resolve the controversy is that the vaccine negotiation process is being conducted in strict secrecy. Although efforts are being made to secure vaccine quantities and expedite supply with cooperation from government agencies and companies, it is difficult to disclose every detail one by one.

Blue House spokesperson Kang Min-seok said, "The government is putting all its efforts into securing additional quantities and shortening the vaccination schedule."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.