A South Korean-proposed multinational alliance including the U.S. and Russia will be launched  to jointly deal with COVID-19 and future health crises in Northeast Asia. 

The South Korean Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that the Northeast Asia Cooperation Initiative for Infectious Disease Control and Public Health will officially kick off with its first meeting later in the day. 

President Moon Jae-in proposed the body during a keynote speech at the UN General Assembly in September, naming the two Koreas, China, Japan and Mongolia as possible participants. 

Three of them, South Korea, China and Mongolia are participating as inaugural members of the body along with the U.S. and Russia. 

The ministry said Tokyo is also reviewing regular participation and will send officials from the Japanese Embassy in Seoul to the inaugural deputy director-level meeting to be held virtually at 8 p.m. Korea time. 

The South Korean government plans to bring in more members, including North Korea, while seeking to further practical cooperation among inaugural member states.