Yoon Geon-young: "We Must Start a 'Vaccine Independence Movement'... It's Not Just the Government's Problem"

Yoon Geon-young, Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Soyoung] On the 25th, Yoon Geon-young, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, argued, "Regardless of whether the current (vaccine supply) plan is sufficient for a NO mask and return to daily life, we should also start a 'vaccine independence movement' at this time."

On the same day, Yoon posted on his Facebook a post titled "It's late, but let's start the 'vaccine independence movement' now," making this claim.

He said, "I understand the frustration of the public regarding COVID-19 vaccines," adding, "If the public feels frustrated and anxious, it is undoubtedly a matter that the government and ruling party must handle better, faster, and more decisively." He further insisted, "Considering various virus mutations, it should not remain a simple declaration but advance into a concrete and meticulous 'independence movement.'"

He then suggested, "We can start by pondering why the progress is slow despite five domestic companies conducting COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials and developing treatments."

Yoon said, "We need to calmly find the reasons why, despite South Korea's technology being world-class in many fields, the response to infectious diseases is slow."

He stated, "The core issue is ultimately money," explaining, "The cost for phase 3 clinical trials alone exceeds 200 billion won. From the developer's perspective, the experiments involving huge sums of money can fail," but added, "The environment that allows retrying even after failure comes from bold financial investment. Although private pharmaceutical companies develop vaccines, if their research and development are directly linked to the lives of the people, there is no reason not to invest financially. Bold indirect support is the same."

He also pointed out, "It is a last resort when the opposition party and some media stir public anxiety over vaccines or use it as a tool for political strife. We must look at the bigger and longer picture," adding, "The government and ruling party should also seek cooperation from the opposition regarding vaccines. Vaccines are not objects of competition or conflict."

Finally, Yoon emphasized, "We must consider the 'vaccine and treatment independence movement.' It is not only the government's issue," adding, "The National Assembly, media, and experts are not free from responsibility. We must not neglect preparing for the greater war ahead by focusing only on the immediate battle."

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