Minister Kang Kyung-hwa Talks with ASEAN Secretary-General: "Smooth Movement of Essential Personnel is Crucial"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] On the morning of the 15th, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha held a phone call with Lim Jock Hoi, Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), to discuss the trends in response to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), COVID-19 response support projects, exceptional entry for businesspeople, and ways to strengthen Korea-ASEAN cooperation in line with the New Southern Policy promotion trends.

Minister Kang evaluated the stabilization of the COVID-19 spread in many ASEAN countries and the ASEAN Secretariat's role in regional quarantine cooperation, and also explained the South Korean government's whole-of-government efforts to control COVID-19.

In response, Secretary-General Lim highly praised the South Korean government's COVID-19 response efforts as very effective and expressed gratitude for the Korean government’s use of the Korea-ASEAN Cooperation Fund to promote ASEAN’s COVID-19 response support projects. The Korean government provided support worth a total of 5 million USD to the 10 ASEAN countries, including diagnostic kits, PCR, and personal protective equipment.

Minister Kang expressed appreciation for the cooperation that enabled the projects to be carried out swiftly and stated that she expects the ASEAN Secretariat to play an active role in consolidating ASEAN’s will and capabilities to overcome the common threat of COVID-19.

Furthermore, Minister Kang emphasized the importance of ensuring free economic activities through the smooth movement of essential personnel such as businesspeople even amid the COVID-19 situation, explaining that exceptional entry measures for businesspeople balancing quarantine and economic considerations are being prepared for ASEAN countries and others.

Secretary-General Lim responded that, as discussed at the recent ASEAN+3 Economic Ministers’ Meeting, enhancing economic resilience through supply chain and connectivity recovery after COVID-19 is important, and proposed close cooperation between Korea and ASEAN to overcome the economic crisis caused by COVID-19.

Meanwhile, Minister Kang stated that the South Korean government has been consistently promoting the New Southern Policy aimed at a ‘people-centered community of peace and prosperity,’ and especially as the importance of building a safe regional environment is increasing due to COVID-19, health sector cooperation will be treated as a core element of the New Southern Policy going forward.

Additionally, Secretary-General Lim noted that Korea has become a model for ASEAN countries in the medical and quarantine fields through its successful COVID-19 response and expressed expectations for expanded health cooperation with Korea. He also expressed gratitude for the South Korean government’s support for projects aimed at the return of the Rohingya people in Rakhine State, Myanmar.

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