Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and the head of the World Health Organization held talks on Sunday to discuss cooperation in the fight against the novel coronavirus.

The Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that Minister Kang met with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in Geneva, Switzerland, to discuss the COVID-19 outbreak in South Korea and the government's efforts to contain the spread of the virus. 

Kang reportedly told the WHO chief that Seoul raised its virus alert to the highest level for the first time in more than a decade.

The ministry said the WHO chief voiced confidence that South Korea  would be able to cope with the virus, based on its robust system to respond to such a viral outbreak and its past experience in fighting the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome.

He added that his organization will closely cooperate with the Seoul government in overcoming the virus. He also called for Seoul's support of the WHO's plan to provide support for countries with weak health care systems.