Asian experts to discuss COVID-19 legislation

Asian legal and public health professionals will share their experience at an international forum this week, and will discuss how to shape laws to counter infectious diseases and ways to work together in the post-COVID-19 era.

The Ministry of Government Legislation will host the eighth Asian Legislative Experts Symposium under the theme “Legislations on Infectious Diseases and Cooperative Measures of Asia Countries in the post-COVID-19 Era” at the Millennium Hilton Seoul on Wednesday.

The event will be broadcast live via the ministry’s YouTube channel starting Wednesday at 2 p.m.

South Korea has been held up as a model for its overall response to COVID-19 and for not imposing regional lockdowns or causing panic buying of daily essentials, Minister of Government Legislation Lee Kang-seop said in a press release.

“Those measures were supported by viral infection-related legislations that the country has been improving since the Middle East respiratory syndrome hit the country in 2015,” Lee said.

Kim Kye-hong, president of the Korea Legislation Research Institute; Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency Vice Commissioner Ra Sung-woong; and Ratih Nurdiati, Indonesia’s vice Cabinet secretary, will deliver welcoming and congratulatory remarks.

Following a presentation on the country’s legislative response to the COVID-19 pandemic, experts from Vietnam, Taiwan, Singapore and Thailand will virtually join the conference during the first session to introduce key policies helping their countries to fight the respiratory virus.

The event will also explore ways that Asian countries could pursue co-prosperity in multiple sectors -- such as the economy, trade, education and health care -- in line with President Moon Jae-in’s New Southern Policy, which aims to elevate Korea’s strategic ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Yeo Han-koo, presidential secretary for the New Southern and New Northern policies, said the crisis caused by COVID-19 is a new opportunity for Korea and the Southeast Asia countries to take their cooperative relations to the next level.

“By reflecting changes brought by the pandemic, our team has been preparing for a set of updated policy centers on seven key sectors that the country will seek cooperation with Southeast Asian countries. In order to support this institutionally, legislative exchange and collaboration with the countries is important,” he said.

Since 2013, the Government Legislation Ministry has been hosting the international forum to raise awareness about laws and systems and to seek legislative solutions to various economic and social issues.

By Park Han-na (hnpark@heraldcorp.com)