1. Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Choi Jong Kun participated in a multilateral teleconference on COVID-19 response among the vice foreign ministers of seven countries in the region on the morning of December 18.

° The teleconference among the vice foreign ministers of seven countries, including Korea, the United States, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Viet Nam, has taken place on a regular basis 13 times since the first one held on March 20, and today’s conference was the 14th one.

2. In the teleconference, the vice foreign ministers exchanged views on facilitating regional cooperation on COVID-19 response, developing and distributing vaccines, resuming economic activities, and facilitating international travel.

3. Vice Minister Choi explained that COVID-19 has lately been spreading in Korea but the Korean government has been responding actively to the situation through its basic principle for COVID-19 response, the “3T (Testing, Tracing and Treatment) strategy,” as well as reinforced social distancing and expansion of diagnostic tests.

° The Vice Minister, pointing out that universal and equitable access to safe and effective vaccines and treatments should be ensured, highlighted the importance of international cooperation, including the COVAX Facility.

° The Vice Minister also explained that the Korean government, having announced the New Southern Policy Plus during the Korea-ASEAN Summit on November 12, which includes comprehensive cooperation on health and medical care, will step up support for the long-term development of health and medical systems in the ASEAN region.

° The Vice Minister added that the Korean government has been continuing efforts to maintain essential travel, including its recent agreement with Viet Nam to introduce a fast track procedure for business people in 2021.

4. The vice ministers shared the view on the importance of close communication among countries in the region amid the prolonged COVID-19 situation and agreed to continue cooperation through various channels.