By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young
President Lee Jae-myung met with Bill Gates, Chairman of the Gates Foundation, and said on August 21, “I respect public activities for the Earth and its people,” adding, “The South Korean government will also do its best to find ways to participate.”
On the same day, President Lee met with Gates, who was visiting South Korea, and discussed global health cooperation, AI future industries, and small modular reactors (SMRs), according to a briefing by Kang Yu-jung, spokesperson for the Presidential Office.
According to Kang, President Lee praised the significance of software innovation that has expanded the window through which we view the world via Windows, and highly evaluated Gates' contributions to creating new public goods, such as vaccine development and the development of eco-friendly power generation facilities.
In response, Gates expressed his delight at having the opportunity to meet and discuss matters with President Lee Jae-myung shortly after taking office, and expressed his hope that South Korea, which has almost uniquely transformed from a recipient nation to a donor nation in global welfare, will continue to contribute to improving global health.
Additionally, Gates emphasized that while the emergence of AI technology brings progress and advancement, concerns remain about rising costs in the healthcare sector and discrimination in low-income countries, stressing that this is a time when multilateral support is needed.
When Gates mentioned that this could be an effective solution to the increasing demand for electricity in advanced industries such as AI and semiconductors, President Lee said, “The South Korean government is also very interested in building next-generation nuclear power plants, and there are many domestic companies developing small nuclear reactors,” adding, “Their presence in the global market is gradually increasing.”
Meanwhile, Chairman Gates mentioned President Lee's visit to the United States and offered words of encouragement, advising him to have a good conversation with President Donald Trump. President Lee responded, “It will be difficult, but I will do my best to have a wise conversation.”
