S.Korea to prepare for health cooperation with DPRK

South Korea's unification ministry said Monday that it will prepare for health cooperation with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Yoh Sang-key, the ministry's spokesman, told a press briefing that the government will make preparations for inter-Korean cooperation in healthcare, infection disease prevention, natural disasters and climate change as soon as "conditions are ripe."

The comment came a day after South Korean President Moon Jae-in raised the need to cooperate with the DPRK as well as neighboring countries to fight against unconventional security threats such as infection diseases, climate changes, natural disasters and international terrorism.

Yoh told reporters that there has been neither inter-Korean discussions on the healthcare cooperation nor any call for assistance from the DPRK.

As of Monday morning, the number of COVID-19 infected patients in South Korea topped 4,200. Most of the cases were reported in less than two weeks.