President proposes COVID-19 aid for North Korea

President Yoon Suk-yeol speaks during his first budget speech at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, Monday. Yonhap

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By Nam Hyun-woo

President Yoon Suk-yeol said on Monday that South Korea is willing to provide COVID-19 aid for North Korea to help the reclusive nation fight the spread of the virus, noting that there are no strings attached to the South's humanitarian assistance to the northern neighbor. Yoon made the remarks during his first budget speech at the National Assembly.

"We should not spare our support in providing necessary help to North Koreans who are exposed to COVID-19 threats," Yoon said.

"I have been reiterating that the door is always open for humanitarian aid, regardless of the political and military considerations of inter-Korean relations. If the North Korean authorities respond positively, we will not spare our efforts to provide vaccines, medication, medical supplies and public health workers."

After officially announcing its first cases of COVID-19 last week, North Korea has been disclosing the number of daily infections and deaths on a daily basis. The North's Korean Central News Agency reported Monday that the regime added eight new deaths on Sunday, pushing up the accumulated number to 50, and over 392,920 people were reported to have symptoms of fever nationwide.

With doubts lingering about North Korea's vaccination and treatment capabilities, those reports were interpreted as an assistance request from the regime, and hopes grew that humanitarian aid to the North might open up chances for resuming inter-Korean talks.

Following Yoon's remark, Seoul's Ministry of Unification said it "attempted to send a written notice to Kim Yong-chol, head of North Korea's United Front Department, but the North is yet to confirm its intention to receive the notice."

"Through the notice, South Korea wants to notify its intention to provide vaccines, drugs, face masks, diagnostic kits and other COVID-19 supplies, and share Seoul's experience and methods in pandemic management," the ministry said in a statement. "To this end, we are seeking to propose a working-level meeting between the authorities of the two Koreas in the notice."

Unification minister Kwon Young-se, who was inaugurated on Monday, called on the North Korean regime to respond to South Korea's offer.

Stressing the South Korean government's position on humanitarian assistance, he said there are no strings attached to the South's medical or quarantine assistance. "I ask North Korea to actively respond to our offer and prevent further damage to North Koreans."

Asking for anonymity, a senior official at the ministry said the North has yet to respond to South Korea's offer on humanitarian assistance, but the ministry will "be patient and keep waiting for Pyongyang's response."

While offering a helping hand to the North, speculation is growing that former President Moon Jae-in may visit North Korea as a special envoy. This came as U.S. President Joe Biden is scheduled to meet the former president on Sunday, a day after he has a summit with Yoon in Seoul.

"In principle, it seems to be an appropriate move," the senior official said of Moon's potential role as a special envoy. "There is no reason to oppose former President Moon and others who are maintaining good relations with the North from taking the role."

Lawmakers listen as President Yoon Suk-yeol makes his first budget speech at the National Assembly on Yeouido, Seoul, Monday. Joint Press Corps

Calling for bipartisan support

During his National Assembly speech, Yoon called for a bipartisan cooperation to address various challenges that South Korea is facing.

The new president also noted that the country is taking on external challenges, including the unstable global supply chain, the fluctuating financial market and North Korea's escalating missile and nuclear threats, and that he needs the National Assembly's help to expand economic and security cooperation with major countries and lead in the formation of international norms.

"Without completing the reform that we have been postponing so far, we cannot overcome the current crisis and challenges in and outside of the country," Yoon said during his speech at the National Assembly.

"The circumstances in and outside the country are challenging," Yoon said. "The geopolitical conflicts over political, economic and military hegemony are creating new trends of weaponizing industries and resources, as well as grouping the global supply chain into multiple blocs. And these are huge challenges for our economy, which have been growing through exports."

To overcome those challenges, Yoon said the country needs reforms in the pension service, labor and education, and the "demand for a bipartisan cooperation is becoming stronger than ever."

Yoon added that they will be discussing the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) and ways to strengthen cooperation in the global supply chain with Biden during his summit on Saturday.

During his speech, Yoon called for the Assembly's prompt approval on his government's 59.4-trillion-won ($46.32 billion) supplementary budget.

Under the proposal, the government plans to spend 24.5 trillion won to provide cash aid between 6 million won and 10 million won each to more than 3.7 million small business owners who suffered from the COVID-19 pandemic and related government restrictions.