The reclusive North Korean state has reportedly begun administering COVID-19 vaccinations following a recent speech by regime leader Kim Jong-un calling for continued antiviral vigilance.

Quoting sources in the North on Thursday, South Korean online media outlet Daily NK said vaccination campaigns began in the cities of Sinuiju and Nampo last month and in the capital Pyongyang this month.

The outlet claimed that although authorities did not inform the public that the shots were for COVID-19, the need for a second injection led to a tacit understanding that it was a coronavirus vaccine, with rumors reportedly circulating that it is of Chinese origin.

Despite reports that vaccination has started in the North, an official from the South’s unification ministry said there has not yet been any confirmation from Pyongyang, but the ministry will continue to monitor the situation.

In an address to the North's rubber-stamp parliament last week, Kim called for a vaccination campaign against "the malicious virus," as the regime refers to COVID-19, and advised citizens to wear masks as he warned of a possible outbreak in the coming months.