Yoon, Heads to Davos Forum in Switzerland After UAE Schedule Completion

Lunch and Special Speeches Scheduled with Global Company CEOs

President Yoon Suk-yeol, who is on a state visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), attended the 'Korea-UAE Business Forum' held at the Rixos Marina Hotel in Abu Dhabi on the 16th (local time).
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Abu Dhabi=Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] President Yoon Suk-yeol, who is on a state visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), will conclude his remaining schedule on the 17th (local time) and move to Switzerland to attend the Davos Forum. The Davos Forum is a private-led international conference where major world leaders, academia, and civil society leaders gather to discuss international issues.

Taking advantage of this forum, President Yoon plans to carry out various diplomatic schedules in the fields of economic security, sales, and public sectors, including efforts to attract investments from global companies, bidding for the 2030 Busan Expo, and dialogues with scholars in science and technology.

According to the Blue House, President Yoon will begin sales diplomacy from the first schedule of the Davos Forum on the 18th. First, a luncheon meeting with CEOs of major global companies both domestic and international is planned. Attendees from Korea include Lee Jae-yong, Chairman of Samsung Electronics; Chey Tae-won, Chairman of SK; Chung Eui-sun, Chairman of Hyundai Motor; Koo Kwang-mo, Chairman of LG; Shin Dong-bin, Chairman of Lotte; and Kim Dong-kwan, Vice Chairman of Hanwha. From overseas, CEOs of prominent global companies such as Intel, IBM, Qualcomm, and JP Morgan are expected to attend.

At the following 'Korea Night' event, a tailored international cooperation program called the 'Busan Initiative' will be introduced to influential figures gathered in Davos to support the bid for the 2030 Busan Expo, along with promotion of Korean culture. On the 19th, President Yoon is scheduled to deliver a special speech on the direction of international cooperation to overcome the global economic crisis.

Additionally, a visit to the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich) is arranged to exchange views with scholars on quantum technology. ETH Zurich is one of Europe’s top three physics research institutions, having produced world-renowned scientists such as Albert Einstein. A Blue House official stated, "Quantum technology, which can dramatically increase computational speed compared to supercomputers, is a game-changer bringing innovation to all industries and security. Competition to secure this technology is accelerating among the United States, the European Union (EU), Japan, and China." The official added, "Through this visit, we will exchange opinions on the success factors that made Switzerland a quantum technology powerhouse and strategies that our country, as a latecomer, should adopt, as well as build human networks between scientists of both countries."

The possibility of bilateral talks between heads of state at the Davos Forum is low. A Blue House official said, "This is not a venue for bilateral or multilateral summits," adding, "There may be natural encounters and casual conversations. Meetings will occur in a very natural atmosphere."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.