The South Korean government said on Thursday that it has signed deals to purchase COVID-19 vaccines from Janssen and Pfizer.

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun unveiled the deals during a government meeting on COVID-19 responses. 

Chung said the government completed the deals on Wednesday to purchase vaccines for ten million doses from Pfizer and six million doses from Janssen.

The prime minister said that the government had planned a deal for four million doses from Janssen but secured two million more, adding inoculation will begin in the second quarter of next year. 

Regarding the Pfizer vaccine, Chung said that the government has signed a deal for ten million doses and the shipment will begin in the third quarter. 

He added the government is making all-out efforts to move up the shipment to the second quarter, with related negotiations under way.