President Yoon Suk Yeol met with Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), to discuss international cooperation on pandemic response and ways to expand Korea's role in global health.
Kim Sung-wan, spokesperson for the Blue House, announced in a written briefing that President Yoon received Dr. Tedros at the Blue House in the afternoon. The two leaders praised the Seoul Declaration, which was announced at the 'Global Bio Summit' co-hosted by Korea and WHO, and exchanged views on strengthening health cooperation.
President Yoon emphasized the need to enhance Korea's contributions and role in the international community, expressing hope for continued expansion of cooperation with WHO in international health and health security. He highlighted Korea's experience in transitioning from a recipient of international support to a major contributor and urged that Korea's talented individuals be given more opportunities to contribute to WHO.
Dr. Tedros expressed gratitude for Korea's efforts in collaboration with WHO and in promoting international health. He acknowledged Korea's development experience and agreed that member countries' contributions and roles should be appropriately reflected within WHO.
He also noted the active collaboration between Korea and WHO in the fields of artificial intelligence (AI) and biotechnology, emphasizing the importance of equitable international cooperation in AI.
President Yoon stated that addressing infectious diseases is a global challenge that cannot be managed by any single country alone, stressing the necessity of close cooperation for prevention and joint response.
Dr. Tedros agreed, highlighting the 'WHO Global Bio Workforce Training Hub' established in Korea as a significant achievement in collaboration. He noted that over 4,000 individuals from more than 100 countries have received training related to vaccines and treatments through this hub.
After the meeting, President Yoon shared on X (formerly Twitter) that they discussed the use of health care AI, training bio personnel, and preparedness for emerging infectious diseases. He stated, “We agreed on the need to strengthen multilateral cooperation centered around WHO to ensure there are no gaps in future pandemic responses.”
He also referenced the late Dr. Lee Jong-wook, the first Korean to serve as WHO Director-General, who believed in “the best health for as many people as possible,” and emphasized that the government will continue to fulfill its responsibilities as a strong partner of WHO in safeguarding global health.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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