1. Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Kim Gunn met with Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Republic of Korea Xing Haiming at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the afternoon of February 26 regarding the outbreak of COVID-19, and they discussed the ROK and China’s responses and cooperation, as well as restrictive measures taken against Korean nationals in certain regions of China.

2. Deputy Minister Kim stressed that the ROK government has been doing its utmost in combating COVID-19 through government-wide, proactive and transparent measures, and expressed concern over some cases of excessive restrictions on Korean nationals that are occurring in some regions of China.

o Deputy Minister Kim emphasized the need for the Chinese side’s efforts to resolve such issues, and asked for the Chinese central government’s more active interest and support to ensure the safety and convenience of Korean nationals in China.

3. Ambassador Xing said that the Chinese government is grateful for the support that the government and the people of the ROK have shown for China in its fight against COVID-19, and added that China will overcome the outbreak in close communication and cooperation with the ROK on related issues, including the protection of Korean nationals in China.

4. The two sides agreed to continue robust communication at various levels so that the ROK and China can overcome the outbreak together and take their relations to a higher level.