Kang Kyung-wha: "Keep Distance from Vaccine Nationalism, Ensure Fair Burden and Vaccine Guarantee"

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo In-ho] Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha stated on the 5th, "It is important to distance ourselves from 'vaccine nationalism' caused by COVID-19 and to ensure vaccines are available to everyone equitably and at an affordable price."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Minister Kang made these remarks during a congratulatory speech at the 3rd Global Sustainable Development Forum hosted by Yonsei University, saying, "The hoarding of vaccines by a few countries damages the public interest and will only prolong the pandemic."

This forum, under the theme 'Beyond Peace, Prosperity, Cooperation, and Security,' was organized to diagnose the global crisis caused by the spread of COVID-19 and to discuss the necessity of international cooperation to overcome it.

Minister Kang emphasized, "We need to invest in strengthening national health systems and ensure equitable access to COVID-19 diagnosis, treatment, and vaccines for all," adding, "South Korea has supported COVID-19 responses in 120 countries through its Official Development Assistance (ODA) projects and is actively participating in the 'COVAX Facility' to assist other countries in securing vaccines."

COVAX supports low-income countries with vaccines funded by high-income countries including South Korea, which has announced a contribution of 10 million dollars.

Minister Kang also introduced South Korea's efforts to address climate change, stating, "COVID-19 has served as a wake-up call to the existential threat of climate change," highlighting initiatives such as carbon neutrality by 2050 and the Green New Deal.

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