Contribution to the COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund

JAKARTA 22 OCTOBER 2021 – The Republic of Korea contributed an additional $5 million thorough the ASEAN-ROK Cooperation Fund (AKCF) to the COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund, following the last year’s contribution amounting to $1 million.

In a handover ceremony, the Ambassador of the ROK Mission to ASEAN Lim Sungnam stressed the solidarity and cooperation between ASEAN and the ROK to overcome COVID-19 pandemic in the region. “In order to contribute to the ASEAN’s efforts to overcome COVID-19 impacts, the Government of the Republic of Korea will continue to work with ASEAN in a joint endeavour to overcome various difficulties and challenges caused by COVID-19,” he added.

Secretary-General of ASEAN Dato Lim Jock Hoi expressed his gratitude to the ROK’s generous assistance to the ASEAN’s collected efforts to respond COVID-19 in the region. Furthermore, he said that “the ROK’s second contribution to the COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund symbolises the unwavering and longstanding relations between ASEAN and the ROK, synergises the implementation of ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework, as well as strengthens the resilience of the region.”

The ROK’s second contribution to the COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund is expected to provide the second round of vaccine procurement in the region, thereby ensuring the ASEAN vaccine security – equally accessible to all ASEAN Member States for the purpose of procuring vaccines and necessary medical supplies.