The nation's chief adviser on infectious diseases has called on the government to discuss liability for COVID-19 treatment among severely ill patients who are unvaccinated amid stalled vaccination rates.

At a regular briefing on Monday, the top adviser to the government's COVID-19 task force, Jung Ki-suck, said providing free treatment to the unvaccinated who become severely ill should be reviewed, drawing a comparison to requiring the government to be responsible for injured jaywalkers.

He added that a free treatment system is not sustainable, urging the government to transition to a general system similar to the one in place for influenza cases, in which costs are split between the national insurance system and the patient.

He also suggested incentives to increase the vaccination rate, such as giving out gift cards.

 As of Monday, the vaccination rate for the winter season for COVID-19 remained at around 31 percent for those over 60 and some 25 percent for the immunocompromised.