Kia Corp., South Korea's No. 2 automaker, will begin an in-house COVID-19 vaccination program for its workers next month as part of antivirus measures for its factories, company officials said Tuesday.

Kia plans to start inoculating employees with Moderna shots at in-house clinics of its plants in Gwangmyeong, Hwaseong and Jeonju on July 30, a company spokesperson said.

The automaker will accept reservations from its 23,000 employees working at production lines, the spokesperson said.

Kia launches its own inoculation program as health authorities allowed local companies to vaccinate their workers through in-house medical facilities around August to boost the nationwide inoculation drive.

Several affiliates under major conglomerates, including Samsung, LG and SK, are set to launch such inoculation programs next month to better protect their workers from the novel coronavirus.

Kia's bigger affiliate Hyundai Motor Co. has shelved its in-house vaccination program due to a lack of medical workers at hospitals in its domestic factories. (Yonhap)