Prime Minister Kim Min-seok and Bill Gates, chairman of the Gates Foundation, met in Seoul on the 21st to discuss cooperation measures for the improvement of global health.
According to the Prime Minister's Office, Prime Minister Kim held a luncheon meeting with Chairman Gates. At this meeting, Prime Minister Kim highly praised the Gates Foundation's contributions to global health and expressed gratitude for the cooperation with Korean corporations.
Chairman Gates noted that the vaccine and diagnostic equipment technology of Korean corporations is at a world-class level, saying, "Let's continue our cooperation with the Gates Foundation in the future."
Prime Minister Kim responded to the request to expand the Gates Foundation's contributions to global health by saying, "We will expand our contributions to global health organizations to contribute to the health of humanity."
Prime Minister Kim also requested Chairman Gates's attendance at the World Bio Summit, which aims to serve as a global forum for health issues. The World Bio Summit is a global conference in the field of bio that the South Korean government has been co-hosting with the World Health Organization (WHO) since 2022.
Prime Minister Kim said, "Combining the excellent capabilities of Korean corporations with the global network of the Gates Foundation could create a synergy effect," and added, "Let's discuss various cooperation methods through the establishment of a Gates Foundation office in Korea in the future."
He further stated, "Korea was designated as a WHO Global Bio Workforce Training Hub in 2022, training over 1,000 bio personnel from developing countries annually," adding, "I hope this project will be expanded to strengthen the self-sustaining health capabilities of developing countries."