U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris said he was "very impressed" by Seoul's efforts to contain the spread of the new coronavirus during talks with Vice Foreign Minister Cho Sei-young.
Their meeting on Wednesday came amid rising concerns the United States could toughen quarantine measures against South Korean visitors as the Asian country battles a COVID-19 epidemic with more than 5,600 confirmed cases and over 30 deaths.
U.S. President Donald Trump earlier said he was watching the outbreak in Korea "very closely," and that his government would make the "right determination at the right time."
Harris told Cho they are impressed with South Korea's comprehensive measures, tests and steps taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
"I think it's indicative of the fact that Korea's leading in the global fight," Harris said after Cho expressed his appreciation for making a "fair case" in Washington for Seoul's containment efforts.
According to the foreign ministry, Cho also asked the U.S. to continuously maintain cooperation to ensure their people-to-people exchanges are not seriously affected by the outbreak.
Harris later wrote on his Twitter, "We remain confident in the South Korean government's robust and comprehensive response efforts to limit the spread of the virus."■
<Photo: Yonhap News>
