Your Excellency, WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.
I am Kim Minseok, Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea.
It is a great honor to join you in commemorating the 20th anniversary of the passing of Dr. Lee Jong-wook, the 6th WHO Director-General.
I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to each of you who has come together to offer your heartfelt tribute and respect.
Although I can not be with you in person, my thoughts are fully present with you in Geneva.
Dr. Lee was an outstanding leader in the field of global health.
The international community hailed him as the 'Vaccine Czar', and he was famed as a 'Man of Action'.
For Dr. Lee, the eradication of diseases was the ultimate mission.
"We must do the right things in the right places, in the right way"
With unwavering commitment and philosophy, he devoted his life to protecting health and lives of the marginalized.
His lifelong dedication has become a shining legacy for the global health community.
In honor of his legacy, the Korean government provides education and training opportunities to over a thousand health professionals from developing countries annually.
Recently, the Republic of Korea unveiled its new ODA vision, so-called the 'K-ODA'. Moving beyond mere material aid, we seek to realize universal human values and co-prosperity via strategic and mutually beneficial cooperation.
We will spearhead global efforts to ensure benefits of innovative medical technology reach everyone by integrating our advanced scientific technology and health policy into global cooperation,
To bring the most innovative technologies to the most marginalized places.
I believe that is the 'Health Equity' championed by Dr. Lee that we must embody in the era of AI.
The government of the Republic of Korea will continue to cooperate steadfastly with the international community, including the WHO.
And we will stand committed to joining the great march toward achieving universal health coverage for all humanity.
It is my firm belief that the noble path he forged will serve as an invaluable compass for our future.
I wish for the continued growth and success of the WHO as it leads global health cooperation.
이 누리집은 대한민국 공식 전자정부 누리집입니다.
'텍스트'에 한하여 공공누리 출처표시 및 변경을 금하는 조건으로 비상업적 이용이 가능합니다.
