Moon proposes G20 teleconference on COVID-19

President Moon Jae-in Yonhap

By Do Je-hae

President Moon Jae-in is seeking a summit to come up with international cooperation in COVID-19 responses, actively pushing for a G20 teleconference over the issue.

The proposal comes as the number of novel coronavirus infections is spiking across the world, and has gained backing from key members such as France and the U.S., according to Cheong Wa Dae.

During a March 13 phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron, President Moon proposed that they seek a teleconference among G20 members, which the former agreed to, the presidential office said.

Following the discussion, Chung Eui-yong, chief of the presidential National Security Office, spoke on the phone with White House National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien, Sunday, and requested that Moon's proposal for the G20 teleconference be relayed to U.S. President Donald Trump. Cheong Wa Dae said the U.S. side showed a positive response.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will consult with relevant governments for the realization of the G20 teleconference,” a presidential aide told reporters Monday.

“One of the purposes of the teleconference is to share our methods for dealing with COVID-19. But a more fundamental reason comes from the need for international policy coordination to ensure an economic recovery and for crisis management,” presidential spokesman Kang Min-seok said in a briefing.

It also comes at a time when more countries are imposing tightened entry restrictions on people traveling from Korea due to the rapid spread of the virus. As of Monday, 140 countries and territories have imposed entry bans or strong quarantine procedures, triggering huge concerns from the nation's business sector.

Last week, President Moon ordered the foreign ministry to consult with governments overseas to find ways to ease the entry ban on businesspeople with health certificates proving they are not infected. The waiving of the entry ban on businesspeople will be among the list of possible topics for the teleconference, according to Cheong Wa Dae.

“We believe that the G20 meeting could discuss allowing the entry of business people with health certificates even in countries that have imposed a complete entry ban due to the infectious virus,” Kang said.

The government is also pushing for a separate teleconference with leaders from the ASEAN+3 countries.

In related news, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha spoke with her counterparts from Canada, Germany, Brazil, Italy and Australia in a conference call, Sunday, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

During the talks, Kang underlined the need to refrain from excessive restrictions on travelers and called for multilateral, regional and bilateral efforts in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.

She also appeared on a BBC program Sunday and called for international cooperation to overcome the global challenge.