US lawmakers urge Biden to consider vaccine swap with S. Korea

Fourteen U.S. lawmakers have sent a letter to President Joe Biden to consider a COVID-19 vaccine swap deal with South Korea.

In the letter to President Biden, the 14 congressmen and congresswomen including Carolyn Maloney, chairwoman of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, said Friday that they hope the president to continue cooperation to provide support to enable South Korea to secure COVID-19 vaccines as early as possible. Mentioning a spike in COVID-19 cases and supply disruptions of the Moderna vaccine in South Korea, they said that the examples demonstrate that the U.S.’ timely supply of vaccines is important.

The congressmen and congresswomen went on to urge President Biden to consider lending vaccines to allow South Korea to promptly secure its capability to vaccinate people. They effectively suggested that the U.S. president consider the vaccine swap approach in which Washington lends vaccines it already secured to Seoul and get them repaid later.

The drafting of the letter, which was also addressed to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, was spearheaded by pro-South Korea lawmakers, including Andy Kim, Michelle Park Steel, and Marilyn Strickland.


lightee@donga.com