Sputnik vaccine manufacturers in Korea wary of Russia sanctions
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| Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccines produced at Hankook Korus Pharm's factory in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, are seen in this July 2021 file photo. Joint Press Corps |
By Park Jae-hyuk
Korea's contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs) are facing concerns about a potential setback in their production of the Sputnik V and one-shot Sputnik Light vaccines against COVID-19, after the U.S. and the European Union began imposing tougher financial sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
The companies are keeping a close eye on how the crisis will unfold, as Ukraine calls on the international community to freeze Russia's foreign assets and sanction the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), the country's sovereign wealth fund that markets the coronavirus vaccines.
"Of course the situation has caused concerns, although it has yet to pose any risk to our production," said a spokesman from GL Rapha, the parent company of Hankook Korus Pharm, which signed a contract with RDIF in 2020 to export Sputnik V vaccines being produced at its factory in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province.
