Korea's ForMin Kang Kyung-wha: COVID-19 has exacerbated divisive trends that undermine multilateral cooperation

The Republic of Korea's Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said on Tuesday that the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified divisive trends undermining multilateral cooperation, but also highlighted how interdependent states are, advocating for cooperation in this sense.

The clarifications were made during the Annual Meeting of the Romanian Diplomacy 2020, having as theme "The impact of the pandemic on the international trends and the answers of the Romanian diplomacy".

COVID-19 has exacerbated the divisive trends that undermine multilateral cooperation, but also highlighted how interdependent and vulnerable we are, as well as the urgency of multilateral action, to prepare ourselves for the next global health crisis. (...) As to the reform of the United Nations, although begun decades ago, the progress has been slow and uneven. The place where the greatest need for reform is the Security Council (...) We can focus our efforts on reform in areas where the benefits to people would be felt immediately. The World Health Organization (WHO) is such an entity. And WHO's technical and scientific expertise should be appreciated, respected and improved, she said.

Kang Kyung-wha added that the COVID-19 pandemic has further exposed the vulnerabilities of institutions as countries become "insular" and closed their borders to protect their populations from the virus.

She also said that the power to strengthen multilateralism was primarily in the hands of the United Nations' states.

Kang Kyung-wha recalled that this year marks 30 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Korea and Romania, highlighting that the country she represents is Romania's only strategic partner in Asia.

Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu stressed that the Republic of Korea is a "brilliant" example in managing the crisis caused by COVID-19, including the use of communication, involving the population in the joint effort to reduce the spread of the virus. She added that Romania and Korea have an excellent bilateral relationship, built on the strategic partnership and common commitment to strengthen trade and business ties.