The two leaders expressed mutual appreciation for tackling the epidemic in a statement released by the South Korean Presidential Office.
outh Korean President Moon Jae-In has expressed support for President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo in Indonesia's battle against the coronavirus outbreak.
In a statement dated April 21 posted to the official Instagram account of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Indonesia (@koremb.idn), South Korean Presidential spokesman Kang Min-seok said that the two Presidents engaged in a 20-minute conversation about the global pandemic and its effect on their countries.
"I heard that Indonesia has seen a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases as well as in the number of deaths, and that the Indonesian government has tried its best to curb the outbreak, including declaring [the outbreak] as a national disaster," Moon said during the conversation, as quoted in the statement published on Wednesday.
Moon also expressed his confidence that the Jokowi administration would soon overcome the outbreak through good coordination between the Indonesian government and its citizens.
According to the statement, Jokowi congratulated Moon for South Korea's success in halting the spread of coronavirus, and that he wished to learn more about Seoul's experience in managing its outbreak.
South Korea has earned praise for its swift response to the COVID-19 pandemic after quickly slowing the rate of infection and deaths, including by rapidly establishing testing facilities across the country and imposing physical distancing measures to limit the spread of the virus.
Jokowi also thanked Moon during the call for Seoul's pledge to donate medical equipment, protective gear and test kits to Jakarta.
Read also: Emergency aid from South Korea reaches virus-crippled Indonesia
The South Korean government has pledged a US$500,000 grant-in-kind to Indonesia, which includes medical supplies, COVID-19 test kits and rechargeable power sprayers.
The statement said that Jokowi asked Moon to join Indonesia to strengthen international cooperation in addressing the COVID-19 health crisis and the post-pandemic economic crisis.
In ending the phone call with Jokowi, Moon quoted the Indonesian proverb "ringan sama dijinjing, berat sama dipikul" (trouble shared is trouble halved) and expressed his hope that the two leaders would intensify communication during this difficult time. (nal)
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