South Korea wants to show the world how to tackle the coronavirus

Bloomberg Updated - December 06, 2021 at 12:47 PM.

Workers wearing protective suits and masks spray disinfectant inside a Seoul Metro subway train.

South Korea has been praised for its effective response to the coronavirus pandemic. Now it wants to share its lessons with the world.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in suggested that U.S. President Donald Trump hold a G-20 teleconference summit to discuss how South Korea worked to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus, a statement from Moon’s office said.

The country was testing people for the virus at the fastest pace in the world, which appears to have allowed early detection of cases, keeping its mortality rate lower than average.

At the proposed meeting with world leaders, South Korea plans to share information on its experience on tackling the nationwide spread of the novel coronavirus, results on clinical tests, as well as discussing response measures of the outbreak on the global economy, according to the statement.

Moon’s national security advisor Chung Eui-yong asked his U.S. counterpart Robert OBrien in a phone call on Sunday to deliver the proposal, the statement said, adding that OBrien said Trump would actively consider the idea.

This isn’t the first time South Korea has suggested the idea. Moon said he would discuss the approach in a call last week with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Published on March 15, 2020 08:51