By Kim Hyelin and Lee Jihae
President Moon Jae-in has pledged to the Group of 20 (G20) economies that Korea will cooperate with the international community to guarantee fair access to vaccines against COVID-19.
Cheong Wa Dae Spokesperson Kang Min-seok on Nov. 22 told a briefing that the president said this the day before in his speech to the latest G20 summit.
On the first day of the two-day summit, President Moon stressed the importance of fair access to COVID-19 vaccines in addition to the rapid development of treatment and vaccines for the "complete end" to the pandemic, which he said is possible only after all countries conquer it.
He said Korea actively supports the roles of international organizations such as the World Health Organization and the International Vaccine Institute, adding that the country will help supply vaccines to developing countries.
President Moon also welcomed the G20's plan for trade, investment and response to COVID-19, as well as an agreement on the movement of necessary personnel such as businesspeople across borders. He had suggested the agreement in March at the special G20 summit, and this was included in the latest summit's declaration.
The chief executive said he hopes the G20, which accounts for 80% of the global economy, unites with the World Trade Organization to restore multilateralism and expedites the development of a fair and secure environment for trade and investment.
Other leading heads of state who attended the G20 summit other than President Moon included U.S. President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
kimhyelin211@korea.kr