Vials with a sticker reading, "COVID-19 / Coronavirus vaccine / Injection only" and a medical syringe are seen in front of a displayed AstraZeneca logo in this illustration taken October 31, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/File Photo
SEOUL: AstraZeneca has filed an application for approval in South Korea of the coronavirus vaccine it developed with Oxford University, the country's drug safety ministry said in a statement on Monday.
The ministry said it would aim to approve the vaccine for emergency use in 40 days. The approval would mark the first in South Korea, which has been grappling to contain its latest wave of infections.
South Korea signed a deal with AstraZeneca in December, with the first shipment expected as early as January.