Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said Friday the current government's antivirus measures should be recognized as "successful" as he thanked people for their cooperation in the virus fight in his last COVID-19 response meeting before leaving office.

"Some people say our return to normal was late compared with other countries, but if you look at objective data, our virus preventive measures deserve to be called successful," Kim said.

"Until the crisis is completely over, we should not be complacent, but we also need to caution against disparaging the results of our virus fight that were achieved through people's endurance of pain and inconvenience."

South Korea scrapped most COVID-19 social distancing restrictions last month, including gathering limits and business hour curfews, as part of its effort to return to pre-pandemic normalcy amid a downward trend in COVID-19 cases.

It also lifted the outdoor mask mandate this week, though the rule still applies when attending gatherings of 50 or more people or using multiuse facilities.

"It is meaningful that we achieved (a return to normalcy) without full-scale lockdowns," he said.

Kim said he believes the incoming administration will cope well with the virus.

"Since the virus prevention is directly related with people's lives and safety, there should be no room for political conflicts, not even an inch," he said.

Kim thanked the people for their participation in social distancing and vaccinations, and front-line medical workers for their dedication in the virus fight.

He also expressed consolation to those who died from COVID-19 and those who suffered adverse effects from vaccinations, as well as the self-employed and small merchants whose businesses have been hit hard by antivirus curbs.

Since he took office in May 2021, Kim has presided over 94 COVID-19 response meetings as chief of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters. (Yonhap)