The Moon Jae-in administration has revised its vaccination goal and aims to fully vaccinate 70 percent of the South Korean population by the end of October, at the earliest.

Health ministry spokesman Son Young-rae said in a press briefing Thursday that the government still expects 36 million people will have received at least their first shot by the end of September.

He explained most individuals inoculated until then will have gotten either the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, with their second dose administered by October or early November.

Since the national vaccination campaign began in February, authorities have been promoting the herd immunity goal as a means to ending the pandemic.

Son said, however, mask mandates and basic quarantine measures will likely continue even after herd immunity is achieved.