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South Korean President Moon Jae-in makes remarks during an emergency meeting of business and financial leaders in Seoul on Apr. 6. (Blue House photo pool)

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus requested on Apr. 6 that South Korean President Moon Jae-in deliver a keynote speech during a World Health Assembly teleconference in May and share South Korea’s novel coronavirus response approach with other world leaders.

Moon spoke with Ghebreyesus for around 25 minutes that day in a telephone conversation at the WHO director-general’s request, Blue House spokesperson Kang Min-seok said.

Ghebreyesus was quoted as saying that the reason he had requested the conversation that day was to “praise [Moon] for the leadership shown during the coronavirus situation,” noting that South Korea had reaped rewards with its comprehensive strategic approach of proactive testing and diagnoses and active contact tracking.

Ghebreyesus went on to say that he hoped Moon might “encourage other world leaders to adopt South Korea’s comprehensive approach,” stressing that it was “important for you to speak in person.”

“If you do so, other countries will actively share their experiences,” he urged.

Ghebreyesus went on to say that he had a “special proposal to make,” asking Moon to deliver a keynote speech at a meeting of the World Health Assembly, the WHO’s top decision-making body.

“I’d like you to give the keynote speech as a representative of Asia at the World Health Assembly that will be taking place by teleconference in May,” Ghebreyesus was quoted as saying.

“Currently, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa are scheduled to speak on behalf of Europe and Africa, respectively. This will be an excellent opportunity for the different countries to learn about South Korea’s experience in responding to the coronavirus,” he said.

He went on to urge South Korea to focus on providing support with diagnostic kits and other disease prevention items to countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

In response, Moon thanked him for the invitation and said he would “discuss the matter concretely through Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Kyung-wha and other diplomatic channels.”

Noting that he had “discussed coronavirus response measures in conversations with around 20 world leaders recently,” he said he would “actively provide support with the disease prevention knowledge and items that other countries are requesting as circumstances permit.”

“In addition to the WHO, the South Korean government also plans to contribute to the UN-led coronavirus response program,” he added.

Moon went on to say that the South Korean government had “consistently based its response on the three principles of openness, transparency, and democracy” and was “working to minimize needless constraints on human and material movements according to WHO recommendations.”

“We will actively provide support with the disease prevention knowledge and items that other countries are requesting as circumstances permit,” he said.

The same day, Moon had another telephone conversation with Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra. According to the Blue House spokesperson Kang Min-seok, Vizcarra expressed “congratulations to the South Korean government for achieving such positive results with its effective response to the coronavirus.”

“I am well aware of how the rest of the world views South Korea as a model case. Peru is going through its most difficult time right now, and since there is the possibility of more difficult times ahead, I would like to follow the determinations of South Korea,” he was quoted as saying.

“While we believe the most effective approach would be for Peru to conduct large volumes of swift testing as South Korea did with its proactive response from the early stages, doing so would require South Korea’s technological capabilities, and its diagnostic kits in particular,” he said.

“With your particular attention to this matter, Peru could produce results as positive as South Korea’s,” he continued, adding that he also hoped South Korea would “share its experiences, technological capabilities, and knowledge in relation to the coronavirus in addition to medical items such as diagnostic kits.”

In response, Moon said he would “actively share South Korea’s disease prevention and treatment experience and clinical data with the Peruvian government.”

He went on to say he would “see to it that in addition to appropriate support in terms of the areas requested [concerning treatment experience, clinical data, and diagnostic kits], there is also as much substantive support as possible in terms of the medical equipment that I understand Peru is interested in purchasing.”

In a message of gratitude, Vizcarra said that Moon’s remarks were a “source of hope to Peru.”

By Seong Yeon-cheol, staff reporter

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