President Moon Jae-in on Oct. 26 gives a speech online at the 22nd Korea-ASEAN Summit. (Cheong Wa Dae's official Facebook page)
By Lee Kyoung Mi and Kim Hayeon
President Moon Jae-in on Oct. 26 pledged another USD 5 million to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Response Fund for COVID-19 to expedite vaccine supply in the region and contribute to ASEAN's economic recovery to stabilize the global supply chain.
In the afternoon, he told the 22nd ROK (Republic of Korea)-ASEAN Summit in a videoconference that the Delta variant has recently spread in regions with low vaccination rates and that frequent disruptions in vaccine production has hampered global economic recovery.
The president urged "sharing deeper friendships" to overcome the pandemic and improve recovery, adding that solidarity and cooperation are the only ways to defeat the coronavirus.
Officially launched in June last year, the response fund assists ASEAN member states through purchases of medical and quarantine supplies, development of vaccines and streamlining the region's capacity to respond to infectious diseases. Last year, Korea donated USD 1 million to the fund.
Later in the summit, the president proposed a Korea-ASEAN health and vaccine initiative to expand the production of vaccines and treatment, ensure their fair distribution and bolster public health systems.
President Moon and ASEAN leaders also adopted a joint statement reaffirming their commitment to future-oriented collaboration and summarizing the achievements of Seoul's New Southern Policy. The Korean government also released a fact sheet detailing key accomplishments of the policy.
km137426@korea.kr