President meets Bill Gates, discusses global health, future cooperation

President Lee Jae Myung met with Bill Gates, chairman of the Gates Foundation, at the presidential office in Seoul, Thursday. The presidential office said the two discussed global health, future pandemic preparedness and other pressing international issues. Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac and Ha Jung-woo, the senior secretary for artificial intelligence and future planning, were among the aides in attendance. During the talks, Lee praised Gates’ efforts in philanthropy. “I pay tribute to these collective efforts for the Earth and all humankind, and the Korean government will also look for ways to participate as much as possible," Lee told him. Gates, for his part, said that rapid shifts in geopolitics and technology offered South Korea an opportunity to expand its role in developing solutions. He recalled founding Microsoft before establishing the Gates Foundation in 2000, noting that he has pledged to spend its $200 billion endowment over the next two decades, much of it on global health. He pointed to the foundation’s role in cutting annual chilWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times