Defense chiefs of S. Korea, UAE vow cooperation over virus crisis

The defense chiefs of South Korea and the United Arab Emirates held phone talks Monday and pledged their joint response against the coronavirus pandemic, Seoul's defense ministry said.

The conversation between Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo and his UAE counterpart, Mohammad Ahmed Al Bowardi, took place at the request of the UAE defense chief, according to the ministry.

The UAE defense chief praised South Korea's response against the coronavirus as prompt and transparent and said Seoul has been dealing with the virus effectively and exemplarily, the ministry said.

"The two ministers vowed to mutually put forth efforts to unswervingly continue defense exchanges and cooperation between the two countries that have been maintained for a long time, and to jointly respond to the prolonged COVID-19 situation," the ministry said in a release.

South Korea reported 10 new cases of the new coronavirus Monday, marking the fifth day in a row that the number of new infections stayed at 10 or below. The nation's total infections stood at 10,738, including 243 deaths. (Yonhap)