MS CEO's Letter to President Moon: "Korea's COVID-19 Crisis, an Opportunity to Elevate Contactless Growth"

Satya Nadella MS CEO

[Asia Economy Reporter Son Sun-hee] Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft (MS), sent a letter to President Moon Jae-in stating, "Korea is facing an opportunity to transform the COVID-19 crisis into a chance for growth in non-face-to-face industries based on digital technology," and added, "This will serve as a turning point for small and medium-sized enterprises and startups to apply and develop new technologies," the Blue House announced on the 7th.

Kang Min-seok, spokesperson for the Blue House, conveyed this in a written briefing that afternoon, saying, "Nadella also mentioned the Digital New Deal, which is a key pillar of the Korean New Deal."

Nadella further stated, "I believe that such changes and growth can occur across various economic sectors, from the exchange of goods and services to healthcare, telecommunications, and remote education," and added, "I firmly believe that urgent international cooperation between the private and public sectors is necessary to overcome the crisis we face."

Nadella, an Indian-born American engineer and entrepreneur, serves as the third chairman of Microsoft.

He also praised, "Under President Moon's leadership, the Korean government and people have minimized economic disruptions, including trade," and noted, "They acted swiftly to effectively contain the initial spread of the virus and have practiced social distancing well."

Spokesperson Kang explained the background, saying, "This letter was written on the 28th of last month and delivered to Microsoft's Korea branch, which then sent it directly to the Blue House by hand last week after receiving it."