Gates Foundation to establish first Korea office by end of 2026

The Gates Foundation will open its first office in Korea by the end of this year to support the country’s biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and AI initiatives and strengthen global health cooperation.

“The Gates Foundation will be opening our first office in Korea,” co-founder Bill Gates announced in a video message to the World Bio Summit 2026 in western Seoul on Wednesday.

Stressing that countries play a crucial role in global health, he praised Korea’s world-class biotechnology and research and development capabilities. He also said that he hoped that the country would share its expertise with low-income countries and contribute to the global health network.

Gates then described his optimism regarding AI’s potential to narrow disparities in global health — though he warned that the technology could just as easily deepen them — citing an AI platform developed by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations that can analyze genetic data, predict mutations and reduce the time required to design vaccines from years to days.

The two-day summit, themed “Expanding Biohealth Innovation through AI,” was jointly hosted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the World Health Organization (WHO). It will run through Thursday.

Health Minister Jeong Eun-kyeong and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus jointly unveiled a declaration calling for equitable access to the benefits of AI and the safe, responsible use of the technology for public health initiatives.

“The declaration on AI in health care […] represents a historic commitment to put human life and dignity first, make AI-powered essential health care a reality and strengthen solidarity with the international community,” Jeong said.

BY RHEE ESTHER [[email protected]]