Seoul gives medical supplies to China

The Seoul Metropolitan Government will donate 6 million won ($5,075) worth of medical supplies to 12 Chinese regions to assist their battle against the new coronavirus outbreak, the city’s office announced Tuesday.

The office said in a press release that it would offer the goods to areas that have close ties with the Korean capital or where many people of Korean ethnicity are known to be living, which includes Beijing, Chongqing and the provinces of Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang of northeast China.

Those places will be offered about a thousand medical protection suits, 500 medical goggles, 90 pieces of medical face protection gear and 30 portable thermal imaging cameras, the office said.

Seoul said the goods were planned to arrive in each area today after departing from Incheon International Airport yesterday.

A note in Korean and Chinese was said to have been attached to the boxes containing the products, which read, “When brothers combine forces, they can cut iron. Let’s overcome this hardship by helping our neighbors.”

The city noted that Korea wasn’t struggling to meet the supply and demand of the products offered to China, which is why Seoul decided to make the offer. Other commodities such as protective suits, goggles and face masks for ordinary citizens will be provided to China “step by step” while considering Korea’s situation, the city added.

Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon said in a statement he hopes members of the Chinese public overcome the difficult time and return to their normal lives.

By Tuesday, China reported more than 42,635 patients and over 1,015 deaths. Korea has confirmed 28 patients and zero deaths.

BY LEE SUNG-EUN [lee.sungeun@joongang.co.kr]