Coronavirus

S. Korea Considering Sending More Coronavirus Tests To U.S.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in said that FDA approval may be required.

S. Korea Considering Sending More Coronavirus Tests To U.S.
AP / Ahn Young-joon
SMS

South Korea says it is considering sending more coronavirus test kits to the U.S. at President Donald Trump's request.

South Korea's state-funded Yonhap News Agency reports that President Trump asked the country for help late Tuesday. 

Yonhap reports South Korean President Moon Jae-in said that the tests would likely need to secure FDA approval, and President Trump said he'd work that out immediately.

The head of South Korea's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told reporters it has enough kits for domestic use, but would have to determine if there's surplus to export more. One South Korean-based company said it already supplies about 70% to 80% of the kits being used in the United States.

The U.S. and South Korea both recorded their first cases of COVID-19 on the same day, but the U.S. now has more than 6 times the number of confirmed cases as South Korea.

NPR reports that the U.S. rate of testing started a lot slower than South Korea's. But President Trump said on Tuesday the U.S. had surpassed South Korea's number of tests.

Contains footage from CNN