Germany Reaches Out to Korea, Holds Video Conference on 'COVID-19 Response'...Expresses Interest in 'Korean Crisis Response System'

Agreed to Strengthen Cooperation Including Sharing COVID-19 Response Experiences and Collaborative Measures

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] On the 3rd, the government held a joint government video conference with German government officials for two hours in the afternoon to broadly exchange opinions on the global spread of COVID-19 and cooperation in response efforts.

At the request of the German side, this meeting was held with Cho Se-young, First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, as the chief representative from Korea, attended by officials from the Office for Government Policy Coordination, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The German side was represented by Hecker, Foreign Policy Advisor to the Chancellor, as the chief representative, with officials from the Chancellor’s Office, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Health, and the Robert Koch Institute attending.

Our side emphasized the position of sharing Korea’s experience and successful response model with the international community and evaluated the video consultation with Germany, a key ally in Europe, for COVID-19 response.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs mentioned the necessity of effectively inspecting and managing the inflow of infection sources while keeping the door open for necessary human exchanges without a full entry ban, based on a balanced response grounded in openness, transparency, and democratic procedures. The Office for Government Policy Coordination introduced that the ‘Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH),’ headed by the Prime Minister, has been established to strengthen inter-ministerial cooperation for COVID-19 prevention and patient treatment, responding to COVID-19 in an efficient and effective manner.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that they are doing their best to prepare measures for the current COVID-19 situation, including early patient detection, contact tracing, management of quarantined individuals, and social distancing. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety explained that through the ‘Self-Quarantine Safety Protection App,’ quarantined individuals can perform self-diagnosis at any time and receive guidance on daily life rules, while dedicated public officials closely manage the health status and any violations of quarantine locations of those quarantined.

The German side explained the current status and response efforts of COVID-19 in their country and expressed interest in Korea’s specific experiences, including the crisis response system and advanced response methods using information and communication (IT) technologies such as apps. They also highly evaluated Korea’s effective response in finding the maximum balance between personal data protection and quarantine measures.

An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained, "Through this video conference, we shared recognition of the seriousness of the current situation and agreed to further strengthen joint efforts such as experience sharing and cooperation in response to COVID-19."