S. Korea confirms 1st 'breakthrough' COVID-19 case

South Korea on Friday confirmed the first case of so-called breakthrough COVID-19 infection, in which a person tests positive for the novel coronavirus even after being fully vaccinated.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said the person in his or her 20s, whose identity has been withheld, contracted COVID-19 more than 14 days after receiving two doses of a vaccine.

A "breakthrough case" is when a person tests positive for COVID-19 between their first and second doses of a two-dose regimen, or a person tests positive two weeks after full vaccination.

"We have confirmed one case in which more than 14 days have passed either after full vaccination or exposure to the virus," said Park Young-joon, a KDCA official.

The official said similar cases will increase as the country's vaccine rollout revs up, adding that those who are fully inoculated still need to wear facial masks.

As of Thursday, 1,482,842 people, or 2.9 percent of the country's population, have been fully vaccinated, receiving both doses of two-part vaccines, the KDCA said. (Yonhap)