The top office said on Tuesday that President Moon Jae-in has been ordering the government to secure a "sufficient" amount of COVID-19 vaccines since April.

Presidential spokesperson Kang Min-seok made the remarks in a written statement, disclosing 13 orders issued by Moon between April 9 and December 8 calling for efforts to develop COVID-19 vaccines and treatments and to secure them in sufficient quantities. 

The spokesperson said that some media outlets are issuing distorted stories hinting that the government has been doing nothing about vaccines, and urged them to stop politicizing the issue.

Kang added that the president ordered his top aides multiple times to secure vaccines in quantities that could even be seen as excessive.

The top office's remarks came amid criticism and concerns about delays in the country's COVID-19 vaccinations and insufficient quantities, with other countries already starting inoculation.