Lee Kun-hee's legacy fuels Korea's $514 mil. push to fight infectious diseases

The “Strengthening Research Capacity to Overcome Infectious Diseases” project, financed by 700 billion won ($514 million) donated by the family of the late Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-hee, will be launched in earnest.

The government plans to support 18 projects, including the rapid development of vaccines and treatments.

The National Institute of Infectious Diseases under the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) announced that it held the “1st International Symposium on Strengthening Research Capacity to Overcome Infectious Diseases” on Thursday.

The bereaved family members of the late Chairman Lee Kun-hee donated 700 billion won in 2021 to build infrastructure to respond to and overcome infectious diseases, which are a threat to humanity.

The symposium was co-organized by the National Medical Center and the National Institute of Infectious Diseases to share the project's direction and research achievements, which will begin in earnest in 2025 with a donation from the bereaved family. The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) participated as a partner organization.

The event began with a keynote lecture by Dr. Jang Hee-chang, director of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, who introduced the project. In the first part, the establishment of a national clinical trial network and research infrastructure to overcome antibiotic resistance was introduced.

In the second part, Korean and foreign experts presented on research issues, including strengthening research capabilities for medical response to pandemics based on infectious disease hospitals.

The government plans to select 18 detailed programs through donations to rapidly develop vaccines and therapeutic drugs in the event of an infectious disease crisis, upgrade the data infrastructure and collaborative research, and challenge the development of new antibacterial drugs to overcome antibiotic resistance.

Afterward, it will establish a clinical research center for infectious diseases and expand close collaboration with Korean and foreign research institutes and companies.

“This symposium is a meaningful occasion to announce the start of the project to strengthen research capabilities to overcome severe infectious diseases to the public and strengthen the international infectious disease research cooperation system,” National Medical Center Director Seo Gil-joon said. “The National Medical Center will continue to play a pivotal role in responding to infectious diseases in Korea, centered on the Central Infectious Disease Hospital.”

KDCA Commissioner Jee Young-mee said, “This symposium is the first event to revitalize clinical research and strengthen medical research capabilities to prepare for the emerging infectious disease pandemic, including the construction of the Central Infectious Disease Hospital and the expansion of the infrastructure of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases.”

Second Vice Minister of Health and Welfare Lee Hyung-hoon, said, “We will do our best to ensure that the bereaved family's meaningful donation will pave the way for the expansion of the national infrastructure necessary for infectious disease treatment and research, lay the foundation for researching lifecycle preparedness and response to infectious diseases, and serve as an opportunity to develop the infectious disease management system further.”