White House "Discussing Vaccine Support for Korea at Summit"

President Moon Jae-in, who is visiting Washington, USA to attend the Korea-US summit, is presenting a commemorative plaque honoring the noble sacrifice of the Unknown Soldier at the exhibition hall after paying respects at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington DC on the 20th (local time). [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Joe Biden will discuss vaccine cooperation measures at the South Korea-U.S. summit.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a briefing on the 20th (local time), "We welcome the opportunity to discuss vaccine cooperation with South Korea."

Psaki stated, "We expect the leaders to discuss not only how the U.S. can support South Korea in the fight against COVID-19 but also how we can work together to combat the global pandemic."

The summit is expected to broadly address ways to strengthen vaccine cooperation between South Korea and the U.S., including resolving vaccine supply issues through 'vaccine swaps' and domestic vaccine production via technology transfer.

A vaccine swap refers to a method where vaccines are initially borrowed from the U.S. for inoculation, and later South Korea returns the equivalent amount of vaccines to the U.S. The South Korean government is known to have held related discussions with the U.S. so far.

Regarding the U.S. plan to send vaccines overseas, Psaki said, "They will be distributed fairly and equitably."

She added, "Decisions will be made with several criteria in mind," explaining, "We will consider how to provide support fairly, ensure that aid reaches the areas most in need, and achieve fairness and regional balance."

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