The South Korean government said it would join hands with private and international groups to build an inter-Korean health and medical cooperation system and respond to global health crisis including the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ministry of Unification said it would launch the Health and Medical Cooperation Platform on the Korean Peninsula with an inaugural ceremony on Wednesday this week to discuss various health and medical cooperation agendas with North Korea.
“The ministry has been pushing for the establishment of a community dedicated to life and safety on the Korean Peninsula through solidarity and cooperation between the two Koreas in response to global health crisis including Covid-19,” Unification Ministry Spokesperson Lee Jong-joo said at a regular briefing on Monday.
Lee added that the new platform is one of the many efforts taken to form a community of life and safety on the peninsula.
The health and medical cooperation platform is a collaborative body for discussions on various subjects related to health and medical cooperation with the North among the public and private, and local and international groups.
The ministry said that the platform would serve as a comprehensive venue encompassing government, private organizations, local groups, lawmakers, and experts in various fields.
Participants are expected to share expertise and cooperation experiences, create a roadmap for health and medical improvement, and coordinate collaborative projects in each field.
The ministry will operate the platform around the clock through online and offline tools.
Lee said the platform would make health and medical cooperation with North Korea more sustainable and efficient and build a wide consensus at home and abroad.
The inaugural ceremony will be held on Wednesday with more than 130 participants joining from the government, local governments, the Korean Red Cross, private organizations such as Korea NGO Council for Cooperation with North Korea, and international organizations including the WHO and World Food Program, and the academic circles.
After the ceremony, the participants will hold a two-day meeting on Wednesday and Thursday.