An estimated 50,000 convenience stores nationwide from Feb. 15 began selling self-testing kits for COVID-19. Shown are kits on Feb. 6 on display at a pharmacy in downtown Seoul. (Yonhap News)

By Park Hye Ri and Yoon Hee Young

Convenience stores nationwide from Feb. 15 began selling self-testing kits for COVID-19.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on Feb. 15 said the price of a kit will be capped at KRW 6,000. Through the designated period ending on March 5, the buying limit is five units per customer.

These measures apply only to kits supplied in large quantities of 20 or more units to pharmacies and convenience stores and are individually packed and sold. Those in smaller quantities like one, two or five are not affected by these rules.

The kits are available nationwide at pharmacies and the estimated 50,000 branches of the country's seven major convenience store chains: Ministop, 7-Eleven, StoryWay, Emart24, C Space, CU and GS25.

To assure proper implementation of its measures, the ministry on the same day signed a deal with the seven chains to ensure stable distribution and price of the kits.

"We will actively strive to stabilize the market supply and distribution of the self-testing kits," it said. "We will do our best to ease the purchase of the self-testing kits by the public whenever needed."

hrhr@korea.kr