The South Korean government is positive about the news that U.S. pharmaceutical company Pfizer and German firm BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine in development showed an over 90 percent efficacy rate.

On Tuesday, Health Ministry spokesperson Son Young-rae said Seoul hopes Pfizer will provide scientific data on the vaccine when it seeks the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s(FDA) emergency use authorization this month.

The spokesperson added that it is encouraging to see such early interim results from Pfizer and other global companies as their vaccines enter third-stage clinical trials.

Son, however, said countering the virus should be approached with a long-term strategy, stressing that even if companies succeed in developing vaccines, it could take much longer for the general public to get the shots.

The South Korean government is currently enforcing a two-track policy to secure vaccine supplies through global cooperation under the COVAX Facility and direct contracts with vaccine developers and their host nations.