The South Korean government has taken a cautious stance regarding Russia's announcement that it has become the first country to develop and approve a COVID-19 vaccine.

Vice Health Minister Kim Gang-lip said on Wednesday that Seoul will be able to decide whether to import the vaccine after obtaining sufficient data on its safety.

Emphasizing that authorities have just found out about the vaccine's development, the vice minister said his ministry will discuss response measures with the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(KCDC) and the Drug Safety Ministry.

On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that a locally-developed vaccine for COVID-19 was approved for mass vaccinations starting in October.

Amid concerns over the safety of the vaccine, which was given the green light after only two months of human testing, the World Health Organization(WHO) has been in talks with Russia about undertaking a review of the new drug.