Bill Gates, chair of the Gates Foundation and Microsoft founder, emphasized South Korea’s growing role in global health during his visit to the country ahead of the foundation’s new Seoul office opening. Speaking to the JoongAng Ilbo, Gates highlighted that while many donors have reduced funding for global health, Korea has more than doubled its contributions since 2018, an investment that he said will save and transform lives worldwide. During his visit from August 20 to 22, Gates met with political and business leaders, including President Lee Jae Myung, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik, and executives from Samsung, SK, and HD Hyundai, reflecting the foundation’s deepening interest in collaboration with Korea.
Gates praised Korea not only for its resources but also for its unique experience as the first nation to transition from aid recipient to donor. He stressed that Korea’s story demonstrates the value of investing in national capacity and highlighted the country’s ability to share lessons on effective development investments with the global community. He also noted that Korean companies and scientists are key partners in developing affordable health innovations, vaccines, and sanitation solutions, contributing to initiatives supported by the Gates Foundation such as Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
On global vaccination efforts, Gates shared the impact of programs supported by donors like Korea, including the dramatic reduction of childhood deaths from diseases like measles. He emphasized the importance of addressing vaccine inequality and ensuring that alliances such as Gavi are adequately funded to protect children worldwide. Gates also reflected on the foundation’s broader achievements, noting that over 80 million lives have been saved through coordinated global health and development efforts, and highlighted his ongoing commitment to donate virtually all his wealth over the next 25 years to prevent maternal and child deaths, fight infectious diseases, and combat poverty.
Beyond health, Gates discussed the role of AI in enhancing access to knowledge. He described using AI tools like ChatGPT to gain insights across fields and emphasized initiatives that make advanced information accessible to underserved populations, such as smallholder farmers in rural areas. Gates sees AI as a transformative tool that can improve efficiency, adapt to climate change, and support global food security when deployed to those who need it most.
Finally, Gates offered advice for young people aspiring to make an impact: cultivate curiosity, read widely, and master the latest technological tools. He emphasized that curiosity drives innovation, books expand understanding, and technology, especially AI, provides unprecedented capabilities to solve real-world challenges. Gates’ visit and the opening of the Seoul office underscore South Korea’s increasing significance in global health and the Gates Foundation’s commitment to collaboration, innovation, and scaling impact worldwide.
