Japan, South Korea help fund ASEAN virus response

Foreign ministers of Japan and South Korea pledged to contribute 1 million U.S. dollars to Association of Souast Asian Nations (ASEAN) COVID-19 fund.

During an online meeting on Wednesday, South Korean foreign minister Kang Kyung-hwa and Japanese foreign minister Motegi Toshimitsu said that amount will be used to buy medical supply and to finance development of a vaccine against coronavirus.

meeting was held amid immense crisis brought by coronavirus pandemic, rising tensions in disputed South China Sea and escalating regional rivalry between Washington and Beijing.

10 ASEAN bloc's foreign ministers would also meet Asian and Western counterparts, including those from U.S. and China, for talks later in week that would be capped by an annual security forum.

Souast Asian nations have been impacted by pandemic differently, with hard-hit Philippines grappling with more than 240,000 confirmed COVID-19 infections, including nearly 4,000 deaths, and tiny socialist state of Laos reporting just 22 cases.

Philippines and Indonesia separately have twice more infections than China, where outbreak started.