Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

- Government made final check on the task performance of the private-public-military-police ahead of the inoculation of AstraZeneca’s vaccines planned on February 26 -

□ On February 19, the ‘COVID-19 vaccine transportation task force (hereinafter referred to as “transportation task force”)’ carried out the second government-wide mock COVID-19 vaccine distribution drill. Minister of National Defense Suh Wook also visited the site to check preparation status and to encourage soldiers.

ㅇ On February 3, the transportation task force worked to master the entire distribution process, from domestic airports to logistics centers, ahead of the transport of Pfizer’s vaccines from abroad to domestic airports, including Incheon Airport.

ㅇ During this mock drill, the transportation task force transported AstraZeneca’s vaccines locally produced in domestic factories to the logistics center. After a process of subdividing at the logistics center, the transportation task force worked to master the entire process of transporting the vaccines to the final inoculation facilities, in order to prepare for any emergency situations.

□ That day, the transportation task force tested a number of vaccine transportation plans. First, in terms of land transportation, vaccines shipped from factories in Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do were transported to a large logistics warehouse in Icheon, Gyeonggi-do, while being escorted by the military police and the police.

□ This was followed by warehousing of cold-chain logistics under the supervision of the transportation task force and military police. After a process of subdividing, the vaccines were safely transported to and stored in the local inoculation facilities, escorted by special forces and the police.

□ There was also a drill to master vaccine transportation using military aircraft, in order to prepare for situations in which private air transport is restricted in the island areas. During the drill, vaccines were transported to Jeju Island by loading a vaccine transport vehicle on a military aircraft (C-130), and these were transported to and stored in the health center in Jeju, escorted by the Marine Corps military police and police on standby.

□ There was also a drill to check the transportation of the vaccines delivered from Icheon to the island using a military helicopter (HH-47) at the special forces’ heliport.

□ During a visit to Seoul Airport, the large logistics warehouse in Icheon, and the site of the special forces’ helicopter drill, Suh asked the soldiers to “do their best, keeping in mind that the missions they accomplish in the field will become the cornerstone to vaccinating the people successfully,” stressing that “our military should secure the safe transportation and storage of vaccines by handling the situation quickly and correctely, even in emergency situations.”