SEOUL-- Prosecutors raided the drug safety ministry Thursday over possible illegal activities in clinical trials during the approval process for COVID-19 vaccines and treatments, officials said.

The Seoul Western District Prosecutors Office sent investigators to nine locations, including the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, to seize data related to its probe.

The raid was carried out in connection to a government project to provide support for the development of homegrown COVID-19 vaccines and treatments, according to the officials in the pharmaceutical industry.

Through the project under the Korea Drug Development Fund, the government offered support to 14 local pharmaceutical companies from September 2020 to November last year.

During the period, only two of the companies -- Celltrion Inc. and SK Bioscience Co. -- succeeded in their development.

Source: Yonhap News Agency