BILL GATES' LETTER TO PRESIDENT MOON

[Anchor Lead]

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates sent a letter to President Moon Jae-in to say how he was impressed by Korea's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and how he wants to boost cooperation with Korea in the fight against the disease.

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​Bill Gates said he was impressed by Korea's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and hoped for stronger cooperation with Korea.

[Soundbite] YOON JAE-KWAN(VICE SPOKESMAN, CHEONG WA DAE) : "He hoped to boost cooperation and work together with President Moon in COVID-19 and other global health response processes."

The chief of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation also said that Korea is leading vaccine development efforts in the private sector and expressed high expectations for SK Bioscience's vaccine development. The Korean biotech company received about 4.4 billion won in research funding from the foundation. If SK Bioscience succeeds in vaccine development, it will be able to produce 200 million doses annually, starting next June.

[Soundbite] YOON JAE-KWAN(VICE SPOKESMAN, CHEONG WA DAE) : "Mr. Gates expects to work with the Korean government to benefit the Korean people and people in need around the world through the Korean-made vaccine."

Gates also said he will increase investment in Right Fund, an agency set up by the Korean government and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Right Fund was established in 2018 by Seoul's health minstry, the foundation, and five Korean biopharmaceutial firms to help find solutions to infectious disease responses and provide 50 billion won for that effort by 2022. A Cheong Wa Dae official explained that the government will also discuss whether to increase its investment. Moon and Gates had a phone conversation in April to talk about joint COVID-19 response and cooperation in developing vaccines and therapeutic drugs for COVID-19.