Korea, China, Japan Health Ministers Meeting Proposal Receives Positive Response from Our Government... Variables Remain

On the 12th, as the Tokyo Stock Exchange in Japan plunged sharply due to the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) a pandemic, a passerby walks past an electronic billboard of a securities firm in Tokyo displaying the movement of the Nikkei index.

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] Regarding the Japanese government's proposal for consultations among the health authorities of Korea, China, and Japan to address the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), our health authorities have expressed their readiness to respond at any time. However, since the Chinese health minister is still inspecting the site in Wuhan, which is considered the initial outbreak location of COVID-19, it seems unlikely to happen immediately.

A Ministry of Health and Welfare official stated on the 13th, "We have been steadily conducting consultations at the working level with the Japanese side, and we have also proposed ministerial consultations among the three countries including China in the past," adding, "We are prepared to proceed whenever conditions allow." Earlier, the Asahi Shimbun reported, citing remarks from officials in Japan, that the National Security Secretariat of Japan proposed a telephone consultation among health authorities to the Korean and Chinese ambassadors on site.

Korea, China, and Japan are geographically close and have frequent human exchanges, so health authorities have always emphasized the importance of close communication during infectious disease outbreaks. The Korea-China-Japan Health Ministers' Meeting, held annually since 2007, was also initiated by our government proposing it to China and Japan in response to the need for joint action during the novel influenza outbreak, and it has continued to this day.

Inside and outside government circles, there is an analysis that Japan reached out to Korea and China amid difficulties in quarantine measures, such as delays in diagnostic testing to determine infection status. Due to the spread of COVID-19, there are talks about the possibility of postponing the Olympics scheduled for July, indicating a challenging situation at the regime level.

However, at present, the likelihood of an immediate phone call among the health ministers of each country is low. It is known that Ma Xiaowei, Director of the National Health Commission of China, is still traveling to and from Wuhan to inspect the site, making it difficult to spare time. The domestic public opinion's negative view of the entry restrictions imposed by the Japanese government must also be taken into account. Minister of Health and Welfare Park Neung-hoo conveyed the intention to provide Korea's diagnostic reagents or techniques during a call with Japan's Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare Kato Katsunobu last month, but a Ministry of Health and Welfare official stated that there have been no further discussions between the working-level officials of the two countries regarding this matter since then.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.