Governments and companies of South Korea and the United States on Saturday signed four deals that will enhance the vaccine partnership between the two nations.

South Korea President Moon Jae-in attended the vaccine partnership event held in Washington, where Samsung Biologics, a South Korean biopharmaceutical firm, signed an agreement to manufacture U.S. drugmaker Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine at its local factory.

President Moon said that the vaccine partnership is aimed at sharply increasing the global vaccine supply and contributing to ending the pandemic by combining U.S. expertise and South Korea's production capacity.

Moderna also signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Health Ministry in relation to Moderna's possible investment in the vaccine production facility in South Korea.

Separately, South Korea's Health and Welfare Ministry signed a trilateral MOU with SK Bioscience, a South Korean biotechnology company, and U.S. drugmaker Novavax on the development and production of vaccines.

South Korea's National Institute of Health also signed an MOU with Moderna on strengthening cooperation on research into infectious diseases.