1. Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang, Kyung-wha spoke over the phone with Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) David Beasley on the morning of April 24 at the latter’s request, and discussed ways to strengthen cooperation between the Republic of Korea and the WFP as well as the need for cooperation in responding to COVID-19.

2. Minister Kang said that although the ROK government has been achieving results in its efforts to tackle COVID-19, the government remains vigilant against the virus. She went on to commend the WFP for making effective responses under difficult circumstances caused by COVID-19, including border closures, and explained the ROK’s plan to expand its contribution to the operation of the UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) led by the WFP.

3. Executive Director Beasley assessed that the ROK government’s response to COVID-19 has been very effective, and expressed appreciation for the ROK’s support for the WFP’s activities. In addition, he stressed that due to COVID-19, the international community is facing not only a health crisis but also a humanitarian crisis, adding that the global community needs to continue stepping up cooperation to respond to it.