Minister Jeong Eui-yong Attends 'Omicron Response Video Conference' Hosted by Blinken

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo In-ho] On the 22nd, Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong attended the "Omicron Response Foreign Ministers' Virtual Meeting" hosted by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, where they discussed the spread trends of Omicron in various countries and international cooperation measures.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that about 10 foreign ministers, including South Korea, as well as representatives from the African Union (AU) and the European Union (EU), attended this meeting held by the U.S. side to share information and discuss countermeasures regarding the rapidly spreading Omicron variant worldwide.

At the meeting, Minister Chung shared the domestic status of Omicron cases and the government's response policy. He emphasized, "Domestically, to prevent the spread of Omicron and suppress COVID-19, we are encouraging and implementing additional vaccinations for the elderly and vaccinations for adolescents under 18," adding, "We are also taking measures to strengthen temporary entry restrictions, social distancing, and expand medical capacity."

Minister Chung asserted the need to ensure equitable access to vaccines for COVID-19 response. In this regard, he explained, "South Korea plans to contribute 100 million USD to the COVAX Advance Market Commitment (COVAX AMC) in 2022 and 15 million USD to Africa in cooperation with the African Union." He added, "The importance of international cooperation to strengthen health security governance is also necessary."

An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "The participants of this meeting shared concerns about the spread of the Omicron variant and discussed the impact of Omicron's spread on the economy and society of the international community," and added, "They agreed to closely cooperate for a more effective response."

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