President Yoon's Meeting with Bill Gates… A New Chapter in Global Cooperation
President Yoon Suk-yeol is set to meet with Bill Gates, chairman of the Gates Foundation, today (21st) during Gates' visit to South Korea for the first time in three years.
According to the presidential office on the 21st, President Yoon and Gates are scheduled to have a conversation at the Yongsan presidential office.
This meeting is expected to be a platform to discuss major international issues such as global health, vaccine distribution, poverty alleviation, and climate change response, as well as to seek ways to enhance cooperation.
Gates, who entered South Korea through Gimpo Airport the day before, is well recognized as a co-founder of Microsoft, but he is currently active in the fields of climate change, poverty alleviation, and health through the Gates Foundation.
Expansion of International Health Cooperation
It is known that Gates has visited South Korea to explore collaboration with Korean pharmaceutical companies regarding vaccine distribution projects for low-income countries.
In this meeting, President Yoon and Gates are expected to discuss cooperation in the global health sector.
Additionally, Gates is said to be attending a session with the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee on the same day to introduce the international health and education projects promoted by the foundation, share key achievements, and propose directions for expanding collaboration with South Korea.
He is also scheduled to have a separate meeting with Prime Minister Kim Min-seok to discuss cooperation in health and future energy sectors.
Cooperation Possibilities with the Business Sector
During Gates' visit to South Korea, his interactions with the business sector are also garnering attention.
He previously collaborated with Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong on the 'Eco-Friendly Toilet (RT)' project, and there is speculation that he may meet with heads of major groups such as Samsung, SK, and LG during this visit.
At that time, Samsung developed a technology for 100% wastewater recycling, which the Gates Foundation has integrated into health projects in impoverished countries.
Gates is expected to focus on discussions with SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won about expanding vaccine research and development collaborations centered around the International Vaccine Institute (IVI), in which SK Bioscience is involved.
The International Vaccine Institute is an international cooperation organization founded under the leadership of the Gates Foundation and is likely to be at the center of related discussions.
Additionally, discussions about follow-up cooperation with domestic nuclear industries, including HD Hyundai and SK and SK Innovation, regarding TerraPower, the small modular reactor (SMR) development company founded by Gates, are reportedly also included in the agenda.
Image source: Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft and chairman of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, enters through the Seoul Gimpo Business Aviation Center in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 20th. (Joint coverage) 2025.8.20 / News1, President Yoon Suk-yeol speaking at the 'President's Invitation, Dinner with Foreign Diplomats in Korea' held at the Cheong Wa Dae guesthouse on the 15th. 2025.8.16 / News1 (Provided by the Presidential Office), Chey Tae-won, SK Group Chairman / News1
