South Korean President Moon Jae-in has highlighted the importance of vaccine as "public goods" that must be "distributed equitably to the whole world, in his keynote speech at the World Health Assembly through a video link.
"South Korea fully supports the efforts of the WHO to develop vaccines and treatments," the President added.
President Moon also suggested the need to spread "solidarity and cooperation" across the globe as nations struggle to stem the coronavirus pandemic, in the speech.
He also described the approach as the "strongest weapon" against the virus.
The speech was pre-taped and played at the forum of health ministers, which is the decision-making body of the World Health Organization.
"One thing is absolutely clear. Sharing information and cooperating with one another demonstrate a power that no virus will ever have -- a power that only humans possess," he stressed.
He shared South Korea's experience of having effectively slowed infections without lockdowns in any areas as one of the first countries hit by COVID-19.
He called the strategy "the choice of a freedom for all."
"Rather than regarding our neighbors as dangerous spreaders of the virus or enforcing nationwide lockdown measures, we chose to protect their safety for the sake of our own safety," Moon said.
"We kept our borders open and maintained our ties of exchange, while also providing diagnostic kits, face masks and other supplies as much as we could."
He cited the three main principles of the government’s quarantine efforts: openness, transparency and democracy.
The president pointed out, however, that South Korea is still far from complete triumph over the virus amid sporadic cluster infections.
