ZURICH, Switzerland, Jan. 17 (Yonhap) — President Yoon Suk Yeol arrived in Zurich, Switzerland, on Tuesday on a four-day visit that will include his attendance at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos.
Yoon met with South Korean residents over dinner and will travel to Davos on Wednesday to meet with a group of CEOs from South Korean conglomerates and other leading multinational companies before delivering a special address at the WEF.
The president is on the second leg of a two-nation tour that earlier took him to the United Arab Emirates for a state visit.
“The new year 2023 brings many crises and challenges, but I am confident that joining forces with the international community based on the universal values of freedom, human rights and the rule of law is the path to protecting our national interest and achieving economic prosperity,” Yoon said during the dinner with South Korean residents at a Zurich hotel.
“In this era of science and technology competition, I will strongly push for cooperation in cutting-edge science and technology with leading technological nations like Switzerland that share with us the universal values,” he said.
Yoon’s visit to Switzerland comes as the two nations celebrate 60 years since the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations.
During the meeting with a group of CEOs in Davos, Yoon is expected to discuss ways the government and the private sector can work together to overcome the complex global crisis and ensure sustainable growth.
The CEOs will include Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Euisun Chung from among chiefs of South Korean conglomerates, as well as the CEOs of Intel, IBM, Qualcomm, JP Morgan and Sony.
On Thursday, the president will give a special address to the forum and present ideas for international cooperation and solidarity for the strengthening of supply chains, the transition to clean energy and the construction of a digital order.
Yoon plans to visit the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich the same day to meet with scholars and discuss cooperation in science and technology.
Source: Yonhap News Agency