Government: "Vaccine Support to Vietnam Will Be Sent After Sufficient Domestic Vaccination Surplus" (Update)

President Moon Jae-in is holding a summit meeting with Nguyen Xuan Phuc, President of Vietnam, at a hotel in New York City on the 21st (local time).
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Eunbyeol Kim] Regarding the government's plan to provide more than 1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Vietnam next month, it was stated that "the vaccines to be sent are surplus quantities remaining even after sufficiently utilizing them for domestic vaccinations."

Kang Do-tae, the 1st General Coordinator of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH), responded this way on the 22nd during a regular briefing when asked about the types of vaccines to be donated to Vietnam. He added, "Since we need to review the vaccine's safety and transportation methods and consult with pharmaceutical companies, we will provide specific details after an agreement with Vietnam is concluded."

President Moon Jae-in, who is visiting New York to attend the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, discussed the vaccine donation plan during a summit with Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on the 21st (local time). This is the first time South Korea has decided to supply vaccines directly to a specific country.

Regarding the background of the vaccine support, General Coordinator Kang explained, "We considered the serious situation in Vietnam, where more than 10,000 confirmed cases occur daily as of mid-September, and Vietnam's continuous requests for support from our country."

He also added, "Currently, about 156,000 overseas Koreans reside in Vietnam, and approximately 9,000 Korean companies have entered the market. Vietnam is a key partner country in our New Southern Policy," emphasizing the diplomatic and economic necessity. He stated, "We are discussing the donation of more than 1 million doses, and we plan to maximize the use of vaccines domestically to ensure no disruption to our vaccination plan before donating."