President Yoon Suk Yeol pledged efforts to fight famine and diseases in Africa while addressing an expanded session of the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima, Japan on Saturday.

A senior presidential official said that Yoon vowed to strengthen short- and long-term support for countries facing a food crisis and made the pledge to double South Korea's related annual aid to the World Food Program to 100-thousand tons.

Yoon also announced plans to expand the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve, a partnership involving the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and South Korea, China and Japan.

He also promised to support rice production in seven impoverished African nations through a so-called "K-rice belt" project, aimed at enhancing the overall food value chain.

Yoon also pledged 24 million dollars in contributions to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, an Oslo-based international public-private partnership that finances research on vaccine development. 

The presidential office noted the amount is nearly triple what South Korea has contributed so far.

In the speech, Yoon said Korea will help foster an environment where the entire world equitably shares vaccines and treatment.