September 8 2020
Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Papua New Guinea, His Excellency Kym-gu Kang presented 1,000 masks to the Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Ms. Barbara Age, at a small ceremony on September 8.
Korean Ambassador, His Excellency Kym-gu Kang (left) and Ms Barbara Age.
In receiving the donation, Secretary Age expressed great appreciation to the Korean envoy, and added that the donation was timely; as per the COVID-19 Emergency Orders, that requires all government departments and line agencies to ensure new normal safe workplace arrangements are consistent with health, safety and hygiene procedures.
Hence, the Department has a responsibility to provide all staff with personal protective equipment (PPE’s), as part of the government’s efforts to mitigate the risks of Covid-19 and ensure that government business is conducted in a safe working environment for all.
The Korean Ambassador stated that while the masks were provided from the Korean Embassy in Port Moresby, more substantial assistance worth approximately 300,000 USD is forthcoming from the Korean Government to the PNG Government, and will be delivered in due course.
The ceremony ended with an official photo and the official handover of the masks.