Bill Gates Visits South Korea, Discusses Vaccine Cooperation and Appears on 'You Quiz'
Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft and chairman of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, visited South Korea for the first time in three years and appeared on the popular tvN program 'You Quiz on the Block.'
On the 20th, Bill Gates entered South Korea through the Gimpo Business Center in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, for discussions on vaccine cooperation with the Korean pharmaceutical and bio industry. This visit marks his return to the country after about three years since 2022.
The issue arose when the news of Bill Gates' appearance on 'You Quiz' went viral online, leading to the spread of 'vaccine conspiracy theories.'
Some netizens, upon seeing the still images of Bill Gates' appearance posted on the official 'You Quiz' Instagram, left comments such as "He comes to sell vaccines," "Vaccines have arrived," and "Kill Gates," pouring out indiscriminate criticism.
In particular, there were numerous comments spreading groundless conspiracy theories, including statements like "Did he come to force vaccinations on kids he never vaccinates?" and "I don’t want to get a poison shot."
This excessive criticism extended to the show’s MC, Yoo Jae-suk. Some netizens commented, "Make sure to film Yoo Jae-suk getting vaccinated live," "There’s too much difference in complexion compared to other show segments," and "Why does someone who can smile like this have such a stiff expression when it comes to former President Yoon?"
Previously, after the COVID-19 pandemic, Bill Gates has been continuously targeted by vaccine-related conspiracy theories. He has directly referred to the conspiracy theories surrounding him as "crazy theories."
In fact, there have been suspicions that Bill Gates' children did not receive vaccinations. However, it is reported that both Bill Gates and his children have all been vaccinated.
Meanwhile, on the first day of his visit, Bill Gates held a meeting on the 20th in Yeouido, Seoul, with Choi Chang-won, Vice Chairman of SK Discovery, and Ahn Jae-yong, President of SK Bioscience.
During this meeting, SK Bioscience and the Gates Foundation reaffirmed their long-term partnership and discussed expanding the scope of future collaborations based on ongoing vaccine development and global public health projects.
Particularly, the development of vaccines in preparation for the next pandemic, which SK Bioscience is currently pursuing, was a key topic of discussion. The focus was on the next-generation preventive medicine research and development project.
Bill Gates also met with President Lee Jae-myung at the Presidential Office in Yongsan on the morning of the 21st. President Lee stated, "Chairman Bill Gates developed Windows, which I use every day, allowing people around the world to see the world through windows. Now, he is embarking on public good developments for humanity, such as vaccine development and eco-friendly energy facility development, which I truly respect."
Image source: instagram 'youquizontheblock'
