South Korea achieved its goal of vaccinating 70 percent of the population on Saturday, paving the way for a gradual return to normal next month.

According to the state vaccination task force, the nation hit the 70 percent target at 2 p.m. Saturday, with some 36 million of its 52 million people fully vaccinated.

The nation reached the milestone about eight months after launching the nationwide vaccination campaign in late February.

As of 12 a.m. Sunday, the vaccination rate stands at 70-point-one percent, with more than 330-thousand people receiving their second shot on Saturday.

Over 51-thousand-200 others received their first jab on Saturday, as over 40 million in the country have now been vaccinated at least once, accounting for 79-point-four percent of the total population and 91-point-eight percent of all adults.