Vice Chairman Lee Kyu-ho contributes to APEC's ‘High-Level Meeting on Health and Economy’ promoting Kolon Group’s global capabilities

▶ APEC ‘High-Level Meeting on Health and Economy (HLMHE)’ held in Seoul on the 15th and 16th 

▶ Vice Chairman Lee, as Chair of the Bio-Healthcare Working Group (BHWG) within APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC), personally presented the group's achievements and future plans and hosted a luncheon

▶ Discussed the necessity of secondary utilization of health data and AI-based healthcare innovation 

Kolon Group Vice Chairman Lee Kyu-ho attended the opening plenary session of the 2025 APEC High-Level Meeting on Health and the Economy (HLMHE). As Chair of the Bio Healthcare Working Group (BHWG) within the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC), he presented the group's progress and achievements to date and discussed future healthcare innovation with global leaders in the healthcare sector. 

The HLMHE, held at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul from September 15th to 16th, is a meeting where high-level representatives, including ministers and vice ministers of health from APEC member economies, gather to discuss healthcare policies. This year marks its 15th iteration, with the theme “Innovate, Connect, Prosper: Realizing a Healthy and Smart Aging Society.” Attendees included Minister of Health and Welfare Jeong Eun-kyeong, APEC Senior Officials' Committee Chairperson Yoon Sung-mi, ministers and vice ministers from 21 member economies, along with representatives from international organizations such as the World Health Organization Western Pacific Regional Office (WHO WPRO), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), as well as business leaders, totaling over 480 participants. 

Vice Chairman Lee Kyu-ho explained at the plenary session held on the 16th how the ABAC BHWG has sought institutional and technical responses to common APEC health and medical issues. Vice Chairman Lee then presided over the official luncheon hosted by ABAC, engaging in in-depth discussions with experts from various fields on the importance of medical data sharing and governance, practical applications of AI and genomics, and the significance of public-private collaboration. 

To date, the ABAC BHWG has discussed four core areas: accelerating biotech innovation, connecting health networks, closing inclusive health gaps, and fostering public-private partnerships. It has proposed 11 projects led by seven APEC economies and submitted healthcare-related recommendations to APEC leaders. The ABAC BHWG will subsequently publish the ‘APEC Healthcare Roadmap’. This roadmap, covering topics such as the progress of smart healthcare and measures to enhance healthcare equity and accessibility, is scheduled to be delivered during the 4th ABAC meeting in Busan next month. 

Lee Kyu-ho, Vice Chairman of Kolon, stated, “The secondary utilization of health data and AI-based medical and healthcare innovation require not only government efforts but also essential collaboration with the private sector.” He added, “If the private and public sectors cooperate, we can restructure the healthcare delivery system and build a resilient and inclusive system to safeguard the prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region.”

Vice Chairman Lee currently serves as a member of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) and chairs this year's BHWG, leading the charge for healthcare innovation in the Asia-Pacific region. This marks the first time ABAC has established a dedicated Biohealth Working Group. 

The HLMHE plenary session featured Vice Chairman Lee alongside: ▲ Jun Suzuki, ABAC Japan member and Teijin Special Advisor ▲ Ted Chang, ABAC Taiwan member and Quanta Computer CTO ▲ Francesca Colombo, OECD Director for Health ▲ Lee Jung-seok, Inokras CIO and KAIST Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering Professor ▲Se-Ju Jung, Chairman of the Board of Noom. 

They discussed the necessity of secondary utilization of health data and AI-based healthcare innovation, along with innovation cases and institutional data linkage strategies for building a digital health ecosystem. They also explored ways to accelerate digital transformation in the healthcare sector while providing patient-centered, personalized services. 

Meanwhile, Kolon Group has continued to invest in new biopharmaceuticals, such as TG-C, a cell and gene therapy for osteoarthritis, accumulating expertise in the biohealthcare field. Kolon completed patient dosing for the TG-C Phase 3 clinical trial in the United States in July last year and aims to submit a TG-C marketing authorization application to the US FDA in 2027.