SEOUL: South Korea said on Thursday it would begin COVID-19 vaccinations for the general public in the third quarter of this year, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) director Jeong Eun-kyeong told a news briefing.

Inoculations would begin in February starting with key groups, including medical workers and the elderly in nursing homes, Jeong said.

The country said it aimed to reach "herd immunity" levels through mass vaccinations by November.