President Lee Jae-myung met World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on the 21st and stressed the need for close international coordination on preventing and jointly responding to infectious diseases. Tedros agreed and said he hoped cooperation between the two sides would also expand into artificial intelligence.
Lee made the remarks while receiving Tedros at the Blue House, presidential spokesperson Kim Sung-wan said in a written briefing. Both sides praised the Seoul Declaration announced at the World Bio Summit, co-hosted by Korea and the WHO. During the meeting, they exchanged views on a range of issues, including stronger health and medical cooperation between Korea and the WHO, international coordination on preventing and responding to infectious diseases, an expanded role for Korea in global health, and the Ebola outbreak in Africa.
Lee said Korea's role and contribution in the international community need to grow further. "I hope Korea will continue to widen the scope of its cooperation with the WHO in global health and health security," he said. He also asked Tedros to help ensure that talented Koreans can contribute to the organization.
Tedros thanked Korea for its efforts to advance global health and recalled his visit to the country in 2013 for the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Korea and Ethiopia. He said he had stopped by the Ethiopia Memorial Hall in Chuncheon and planted two trees symbolizing friendship between the two countries. "I would like to go and see how much those trees have grown," he said.
Tedros also noted that cooperation between Korea and the WHO is active in AI and biotechnology, adding that international cooperation that values equity is important in the AI field as well, according to Kim.
Lee said infectious diseases are a challenge for the international community that no single country can address alone. "Close coordination among the international community is essential for preventing and jointly responding to infectious diseases," he said. Tedros cited the WHO Global Biomanufacturing Training Hub established in Korea, through which more than 4,000 people from about 100 countries have received training related to vaccines and treatments, calling it one of the significant achievements of that coordination.
Lee closed the meeting by saying he hoped Korea and the WHO would continue to work together on the basis of close cooperation to advance global health and strengthen capacity to respond to infectious diseases.