[Sportschosun Reporter Jang Jong-ho] The national stockpile of antiviral medicines intended to prepare for pandemics such as COVID-19 was found to be short of the target by supplies for approximately 3.5 million people in both 2025 and 2026. Although the government plans to purchase additional antiviral medicines next year, some existing stockpiles are scheduled to be discarded, meaning a shortfall of approximately 1 million people’s doses is expected to persist next year.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) manages a national stockpile target of antiviral medicines for 12.78 million people, equivalent to 25% of the population, to prepare for pandemics such as novel influenza.
However, data submitted by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency to Seo Mihwa, a member of the Health and Welfare Committee of the National Assembly and a supreme council member of the Democratic Party of Korea, showed that the actual stockpile amounted to supplies for only 9.3 million people in both 2025 and 2026. This was 3.5 million people’s doses below the 2025 target of supplies for 12.8 million people and 3.48 million people’s doses below the 2026 target of supplies for 12.78 million people.
The situation is even clearer when measured by the stockpile rate relative to the population. The rate remained near the target level, at 25.0% in 2021 and 24.8% in 2024, but plunged to 18.2% in 2025 and remained at 18.2% in 2026.
The stockpile is also expected to fall short of the target next year. The government included 25.498 billion won in next year’s budget proposal to purchase additional antiviral medicines for 3.15 million people. However, supplies for 1.072 million people among the existing stockpile are scheduled to be discarded because their expiration dates have passed. As a result, the stockpile is expected to remain approximately 1 million people’s doses below the target next year.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency is struggling to secure funding to purchase antiviral medicines. However, because stockpiled medicines have fixed expiration dates, the timing and volume of disposals can be predicted in advance. This has prompted calls for systematic management of the national stockpile.
Seo Mihwa emphasized, "Because infectious disease crises such as COVID-19 can occur at any time without warning, stockpiled medicines needed to protect the lives and safety of the public must be secured in sufficient quantities during normal times." She added, "The government must establish a mid- to long-term national stockpile plan that comprehensively considers the quantities and number of patients needed in the event of an outbreak, the time required to produce medicines, and other factors, so that the target stockpile can be maintained reliably."
Nationally stockpiled antiviral medicines include Tamiflu, Yuhan N Flu, Zofluza, Peramivir, and Relenza.
Jang Jong-ho, Reporter
bellho@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
