Minister Kang Kyung-hwa to Hold Video Conference on COVID-19 with Major Foreign Ministers on the 19th... "Discussion on G20 Video Summit Also Planned"

US-ROK Defense Cost-Sharing Talks Originally Scheduled for 17-18, Additional Meeting on 19th

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha is speaking at a briefing for the diplomatic corps in Korea on COVID-19 held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 6th. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha is speaking at a briefing for the diplomatic corps in Korea on COVID-19 held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 6th. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha will engage in multilateral telephone consultations with foreign ministers of major countries regarding the response to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

On the 19th, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Kim In-cheol explained at a regular briefing, "During this meeting, foreign ministers will share each country's current response status and key policies related to COVID-19 and discuss cooperation measures, including the promotion of a virtual G20 special summit."

Minister Kang will also hold a telephone consultation with Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, exchanging views on cooperation measures between Korea and the EU concerning the spread of COVID-19 within the European region.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans to assist overseas nationals affected by travel restrictions imposed by some countries to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Spokesperson Kim said, "For those staying short-term or mid-to-long term who need to return home, if transportation is cut off, embassies are exploring and considering various ways to support their return through communication."

Regarding the suspension of regular visa services by the United States, it was reported that the U.S. Embassy in Korea provided prior explanations. Due to this measure by the U.S. government, long-term stays in the U.S. for study or employment purposes will be difficult until services resume; however, visits to the U.S. for tourism or similar purposes up to 90 days under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) remain possible. A Foreign Ministry official stated, "There was no explanation about additional measures," adding, "Visa windows remain open for humanitarian reasons, etc."

Furthermore, the government is reportedly not considering deploying government-chartered flights to evacuate overseas nationals and Korean travelers stranded due to COVID-19 measures in countries such as Italy and Peru.

A Foreign Ministry official said, "There are about 2,000 overseas nationals under the jurisdiction of the diplomatic missions in Rome and Milan, Italy," adding, "Unlike the case in Wuhan, China, airlines that have already been operating are arranging temporary flights, and the government is providing support from the sidelines."

He continued, "I understand that consultations regarding the temporary flights to Italy are ongoing," adding, "There are about one flight's worth of passengers wishing to board in both Milan and Rome, so two flights should be arranged, and further consultations remain."

Defense Cost-Sharing Negotiator Jeong Eun-bo and U.S. Department of State Defense Cost-Sharing Negotiator James DeHart plan to hold additional negotiations on the 19th (local time) for the conclusion of the 11th Special Measures Agreement (SMA) on defense cost-sharing between Korea and the U.S. The negotiations were scheduled to take place over two days on the 17th and 18th local time but are expected to continue until just before the Korean delegation returns home.

The representatives from both sides met several times during the two days of negotiations for intensive discussions. Although there is a significant difference in positions regarding the scale of the defense cost increase, both sides appear to be making every effort to narrow the gap at the last minute ahead of the planned unpaid leave for Korean workers employed by the U.S. Forces Korea, effective April 1.

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