The top diplomats of South Korea and Finland held talks on ways to expand cooperation to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus, the foreign ministry here said Wednesday.

The phone conversation between Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and her Finnish counterpart, Pekka Haavisto, came about as Seoul received recognition for effectively coping with the COVID-19 pandemic and sharing its experience with other countries.

Haavisto said South Korea has worked closely with his country on matters of quarantine and recognized the effectiveness of measures taken by Seoul to combat the coronavirus.

Kang said that while the situation in South Korea has improved in recent days, the government is not letting down its guard and is actively dealing with new cases.

The number of new coronavirus cases in South Korea hovered at around 50 for the third straight day on Wednesday, with the total number of infections reaching 10,384.

The two officials then expressed hope for expanded cooperation, not only between the two countries but with international organizations, to deal with the current crisis.

Besides discussing challenges posed by the coronavirus, the two touched on the latest developments taking place on the Korean Peninsula. (Yonhap)