Army chief Gen. Suh Wook. (Ministry of National Defense)The army chiefs of South Korea and the US held a telephone conversation Friday to discuss countering the coronavirus and the readiness of their combined forces.

The call between Suh Wook, South Korea’s Army chief of staff, and James C. McConville, his US counterpart, was held at the request of the US.

In the call, Gen. Suh highlighted strong measures to track down potential patients and test them while following anti-virus precautions as key to curb the spread of COVID-19. South Korea’s 600,000-strong military has reported 39 infections, of which 37 have recovered so far.

Gen. McConville said he was aware of the measures through the US military stationed here and had shared Seoul’s expertise with his fellow commanders. Seoul’s approach to COVID-19 has set the standards, he said.

The two army chiefs agreed that the Army has taken on greater responsibility to protect its people, as countries face nonmilitary threats that challenge their security. The two allies reaffirmed an airtight alliance, saying they would seek cooperation until the global outbreak is suppressed.

By Choi Si-young (siyoungchoi@heraldcorp.com)