SK Group, Bill Gates discuss strengthening cooperation in global public health

SEOUL, Aug. 16 (Yonhap) -- Top executives of South Korea's SK Group met with Microsoft co-founder and billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates on Tuesday and discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in global public health, group officials said.

Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, met with SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, SK Discovery Co. Vice Chairman Chey Chang-won and Ahn Jae-yong, CEO of SK Bioscience Co., in Seoul on the second day of Gates' three-day trip to South Korea, SK Bioscience said.

SK Bioscience and the foundation decided to expand their relationship that began in 2013 and continue to cooperate in ways to solve global public health problems in the future.

In addition, they decided to continue research and development of new vaccines and treatments to respond to the next pandemic.

Under the support of the foundation, SK Bioscience is currently developing multiple vaccines and has recently developed South Korea's first homegrown COVID-19 vaccine.

odissy@yna.co.kr
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