With launch of Northeast Asia Cooperation Initiative for Infectious Disease Control and Public Health, South Korea hopes to strengthen regional health security
South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) organized a working-level meeting for the launch of the 'Northeast Asia Cooperation Initiative for Infectious Disease Control and Public Health' on December 29, 2020, to build a stronger and more effective regional partnership for infectious disease control, including COVID-19, through mutual capacity development.
Proposed by President Jae-in Moon of South Korea at the 75th UN General Assembly in September 2020, this initiative includes the participation of countries in the Northeast Asian region, including South Korea, China, Japan, Mongolia, and Russia, as well as the United States.
South Korea's Foreign Minister Kyung-wha Kang mentioned in her welcoming remarks that she hopes North Korea will also join this initiative soon for the health security of both the Korean peninsula and Northeast Asia as a whole.