Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong emphasized global efforts to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Chung made the remark in a keynote speech at the Ministerial Council Meeting(MCM) of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development(OECD) in Paris on Tuesday, saying despite swift vaccine development, more efforts are needed to overcome the crisis. 

He said countries need to share genetic information with one another to fully enjoy benefits brought by modern science and open borders so vaccines and treatments will be more swiftly distributed around the world. 

Noting Seoul’s will to swiftly implement its pledge to donate 200 million U.S. dollars to the COVAX Advance Market Commitment, the top diplomat said his country will also contribute to the global vaccine supply by using its vaccine production capacity. 

The minister also mentioned pandemic-aggravated issues across the world such as weakened social safety nets and growing inequality in income, jobs and education. He emphasized the OECD’s role in addressing those global challenges. 

MCM is the top decision-making body of the OECD, which marks the 60th anniversary of its foundation this year.