S. Korea's disease control agency to be elevated to independent administration
- 4 years ago
질본, 질병관리청 승격…문 대통령 "감염병 대응체계 획기적 진전"
South Korea's disease control body, the Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention has been an affiliate of the nation's health and welfare ministry.
That will not be the case anymore.
The KCDC is getting a boost... in size, authority, and status as an independent agency. It was given the final and official approval by the Cabinet today.
Leading the nation's new public health institute - Dr. Jeong Eun-kyeong, the current chief of KCDC and leading South Korea's battle against Covid-19.
Our Kim Min-ji has the details.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which has led South Korea's efforts to fight COVID-19 will be elevated to an independent agency this Saturday.
And as widely expected,... Jeong Eun-kyeong the current director of the KCDC will head the upgraded body.
"Jeong Eun-kyeong has been at the forefront of our quarantine and has been doing her best to overcome the COVID-19 crisis. She has played a big role in making South Korea an exemplary model for quarantine. It's expected that as the first head of the agency, she will be able to lead the country's next leap forward in infectious disease response and disease control and prevention."
The revised Government Organization Act upgrading the KCDC was given the greenlight during a Cabinet meeting led by President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday.
Initially, under the health ministry,... the upgraded agency will handle its own budget and personnel affairs.
The agency's workforce will be expanded from the current 907 to 1-thousand-476 an increase of 42 percent.
It will also monitor infectious diseases around the clock,... and establish five response centers in different regions across the country.
A national research institute will also be created to conduct studies, clinical testing and vaccine development.
Our response system against infectious diseases and our public healthcare capacity are already being highly praised globally, and now we will be able to raise them to the next level. I ask that we strengthen our response system, centered on the now upgraded disease control agency. We must overcome this resurgence of COVID-19, and get the situation under stable control as soon as possible.
Separately, the health ministry will get two vice ministers one to oversee welfare, planning and coordination matters,... and the other to manage public health affairs.
President Moon said he expects this to be an opportunity to greatly strengthen public medical and healthcare capabilities if crises like the coronavirus become commonplace.
Kim Min-ji, Arirang News.
South Korea's disease control body, the Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention has been an affiliate of the nation's health and welfare ministry.
That will not be the case anymore.
The KCDC is getting a boost... in size, authority, and status as an independent agency. It was given the final and official approval by the Cabinet today.
Leading the nation's new public health institute - Dr. Jeong Eun-kyeong, the current chief of KCDC and leading South Korea's battle against Covid-19.
Our Kim Min-ji has the details.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which has led South Korea's efforts to fight COVID-19 will be elevated to an independent agency this Saturday.
And as widely expected,... Jeong Eun-kyeong the current director of the KCDC will head the upgraded body.
"Jeong Eun-kyeong has been at the forefront of our quarantine and has been doing her best to overcome the COVID-19 crisis. She has played a big role in making South Korea an exemplary model for quarantine. It's expected that as the first head of the agency, she will be able to lead the country's next leap forward in infectious disease response and disease control and prevention."
The revised Government Organization Act upgrading the KCDC was given the greenlight during a Cabinet meeting led by President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday.
Initially, under the health ministry,... the upgraded agency will handle its own budget and personnel affairs.
The agency's workforce will be expanded from the current 907 to 1-thousand-476 an increase of 42 percent.
It will also monitor infectious diseases around the clock,... and establish five response centers in different regions across the country.
A national research institute will also be created to conduct studies, clinical testing and vaccine development.
Our response system against infectious diseases and our public healthcare capacity are already being highly praised globally, and now we will be able to raise them to the next level. I ask that we strengthen our response system, centered on the now upgraded disease control agency. We must overcome this resurgence of COVID-19, and get the situation under stable control as soon as possible.
Separately, the health ministry will get two vice ministers one to oversee welfare, planning and coordination matters,... and the other to manage public health affairs.
President Moon said he expects this to be an opportunity to greatly strengthen public medical and healthcare capabilities if crises like the coronavirus become commonplace.
Kim Min-ji, Arirang News.