President Moon Jae-in says South Korea will work to become the world's fifth-largest vaccine-producing nation by 2025.

Moon pushed the target on Thursday during a meeting on the government's COVID-19 vaccine hub strategy.

The president pledged to designate vaccine development and production as one of the nation's three strategic technology areas, which also includes semiconductors and batteries.

Moon said a homegrown coronavirus vaccine in development is scheduled to enter phase-three clinical testing this month.

Moon expressed hope it will achieve commercial use within the first half of next year.