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President Lee Jae-myung shakes hands with Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), ahead of a meeting at the Blue House on the 21st. / Provided by Blue House

President Lee Jae-myung expressed his intention on the 21st to further strengthen South Korea's role on the global health stage by broadening cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO). The vision centers on expanding international coordination in infectious disease response and health security, drawing on South Korea's strengths in AI and biotechnology.

Blue House Spokesperson Kim Sung-wan stated in a written briefing that day, "President Lee met with Director-General Tedros at the Blue House in the afternoon and discussed ways to foster global health cooperation."

During the meeting, President Lee said, "South Korea's role and contributions in the international community need to expand further," adding, "We will continue to broaden the scope of cooperation with the WHO in global health and health security."

In particular, President Lee noted South Korea's experience growing from a recipient of international aid into a major donor nation, asking for Director-General Tedros's interest and support so that talented South Korean professionals can contribute more actively within the WHO.

Director-General Tedros expressed gratitude for South Korea's ongoing contributions to the WHO and the advancement of global health, while voicing agreement with President Lee's view that the contributions and roles of member states should be appropriately reflected within the WHO.

Both sides also agreed on the need to expand cooperation in the fields of AI and biotechnology, where South Korea holds competitive advantages.

Director-General Tedros assessed that relevant cooperation between South Korea and the WHO is proceeding actively, adding that "international cooperation emphasizing equity is critical so that the benefits of AI technology do not become concentrated in specific countries or social groups."

Multilateral cooperation for infectious disease response was also addressed as a major agenda item. President Lee said, "Infectious diseases are a shared challenge for the international community that cannot be solved by the efforts of any single country alone, making close international coordination essential for prevention and response."

Agreeing with this, Director-General Tedros highlighted the achievements of the WHO Global Bio-manufacturing Workforce Training Hub established in South Korea. Through this hub, more than 4,000 personnel from around 100 countries have received training related to vaccines and therapeutics to date.

The two also exchanged views regarding the recent Ebola outbreak situation in Africa. When President Lee asked about the spread of Ebola and the current status of the WHO's response, Director-General Tedros said, "Concerns over transmission still remain in parts of Africa, and the WHO and Africa CDC are collaborating closely."

                                                                                                         Park Young-hoon