South Korean mayor who almost fell for 30 million dose ‘vaccine scam’ issues public apology

The ruling party said the incident ‘damaged the country’s international image’

People wait to receive Covid-19 vaccine at a mass vaccination centre in Daegu, South Korea, on 8 June, 2021. (EPA)

A South Korean mayor who claimed that his city had secured 30 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine has issued a public apology after almost falling for a possible scam.

Kwon Young-jin, mayor of the southeastern city of Daegu, announced last week that a foreign trading company could provide 30 million Pfizer doses in three weeks.

He said he had forwarded the proposal to the central government, urging it to sign a final contract because it would be difficult for Daegu to get the vaccines directly.

Calling the proposal “improper,” South Korea’s health ministry said days later that a German trading company had offered the vaccines to Daegu, not Pfizer or BioNTech themselves.

Ministry spokesperson Sohn Young-rae said they have confirmed with Pfizer’s head office that only the company possesses the right to sell vaccines to South Korea, according to The Korea Times.

Pfizer, which will launch its own investigation into the incident, also said that it did not authorise any other entity to supply its vaccines to the country.

About the incident, Mr Kwon said at a news conference that it started with good intentions to help the government purchase more vaccines, but it has “caused social criticism and political controversy,” according to Yonhap news agency. He also said it has created a “big stir in our society”.

He said the city has not yet paid for the vaccines that were offered.

Accepting responsibility, he said it was his “mistake that this case regarded as one of the simple cases of a failed vaccine import has escalated into a fake vaccine fraud case”.

He said the image of Daegu was “tarnished due to my careless words”.

Mr Kwon, a member of the opposition party, had previously criticised South Korean president Moon Jae-in for not being able to secure enough doses quickly.

Responding to his apology, Mr Moon’s ruling Democratic Party reportedly said the incident “damaged the country’s international image”.

South Korea, which has otherwise been widely praised for its response to the pandemic, has seen a slow rate of vaccinations because of global shortages and a delay in shipments. But the country is in the process of ramping up its inoculation drive and set a daily record on Monday by administering 857,000 doses.

Mr Moon has set a target of vaccinating 36 million people, or 70 per cent of the total population, with a first dose by the third quarter of 2021.