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Yoon repeats South Korea's readiness to support North's COVID-19 fight
"I have been repeatedly saying that I'll always be open to humanitarian aid regardless of political or military issues that lie between South and North Korea," Yoon said during a policy speech at the National Assembly.
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South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol shakes hands with former Indonesia President Megawati Sukarnoputri before a meeting at the new presidential office, in Seoul, South Korea May 11, 2022 (Reuters/Sung Kyung Seok)
S
outh Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Monday reiterated a willingness to support North Korea with necessary medical supplies and medicines to help it battle its ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
"I have been repeatedly saying that I'll always be open to humanitarian aid regardless of political or military issues that lie between South and North Korea," Yoon said during a policy speech at the National Assembly.
North Korea has seen a surge in suspected coronavirus cases, and its state media said more than 392,900 new cases of fever were reported during a 24-hour period through late Sunday afternoon.
On Pyongyang's pursuit of nuclear weapons, Yoon said South Korea is aware of preparations for a nuclear test in the North, and that "sustainable peace" should be pursued through a virtuous cycle of cross-border confidence building as well as the denuclearization of the North.
During the speech, Yoon also said that on the agenda for his meeting with US President Joe Biden on Saturday will be discussions about a US-proposed engagement initiative in the Indo-Pacific region.
Yoon said he and Biden "will discuss ways to strengthen cooperation on the global supply chain through the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework."
Amid US absence from major free-trade agreements in the region, the Biden administration is expected to launch the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework soon. The framework would promote trade, govern the digital economy and improve supply-chain resiliency.
Yoon made no mention of Japan in the speech.
The president urged lawmakers to approve his administration's first extra budget -- 59.4 trillion won ($46 billion) in spending that is mainly focused on helping small-business owners hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
Yoon took office Tuesday and held his first Cabinet meeting on Thursday. A public opinion survey released Friday showed 60 percent of South Koreans believe he will do well during his five-year term, a more pessimistic expectation than his recent predecessors.
Yoon and his government are set to face their first test on June 1 when local elections are held across the country along with parliamentary by-elections.
