South Korea offers to help North Korea overcome Covid outbreak
South Korea's President Yoon Suk-yeol said on Monday that the country will spare no effort to help North Korea, as the isolated nation battles a Covid-19 outbreak, and reiterated he will remain open for.
"If North Korea responds [to our support], we will spare no medicines including Covid-19 vaccines, medical equipment and health personnel," said Yoon in a speech at the plenary session of the National Assembly.
North Korea acknowledged for the first time last week that it is battling an "explosive" Covid-19 outbreak, with experts raising concerns that the virus could devastate a country with limited medical supplies and no vaccine programme.
Overall North Korea has reported 1,210,000 suspected cases, with 564,860 still under medical treatment, as the death toll rose to 50 according to the North's KCNA news agency.
Separately in the speech, Yoon also said he will discuss with US President Joe Biden ways to strengthen cooperation on the global supply chain through the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework.
Biden is scheduled to visit the country on Friday.