Cheong, COVID-19 Response Enters '24-Hour Emergency Situation Room System'... "TF Operates Even Late at Night"

Archive photo / Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Son Sun-hee] The Blue House will switch to an emergency situation room system operating 24 hours a day starting from the 4th to respond to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

Yoon Jae-kwan, deputy spokesperson of the Blue House, held a briefing at the press center in the afternoon and stated, "The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH) system will be expanded into an all-government emergency response system to respond urgently to quarantine and the economy."

Deputy Spokesperson Yoon explained, "Under the direction of the Chief Secretary to the President, all secretariat offices will establish an emergency response system, and in addition to emergency meetings, emergency response task force (TF) meetings chaired by the Chief Secretary will be held regularly or as needed. These meetings have already been operating since last Monday, even late at night, before the President's instructions."

He continued, "All secretariat offices will switch to a 24-hour emergency duty system, with personnel on duty during weekdays, nights, late nights, holidays, and weekends. A separate practical TF will also be operated for real-time situation response."

Deputy Spokesperson Yoon added, "The government will communicate with the public and strengthen field-centered response capabilities to overcome this national crisis by responding to infectious diseases and restoring the livelihood economy."

This measure by the Blue House follows President Moon Jae-in emphasizing the seriousness of the COVID-19 situation and ordering, "Switch all government organizations to a 24-hour emergency situation room system."

At the previous day’s expanded CDSCH meeting combined with the Cabinet meeting, President Moon stated, "It is necessary to further strengthen the emergency response posture for quarantine and the economy," and ordered the operation of this emergency situation room system until the 'crisis situation is overcome.'

Meanwhile, regarding the high-level critical statement issued late last night by Kim Yo-jong, First Deputy Director of the Workers' Party Central Committee and sister of North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un, toward the Blue House, a Blue House official said, "There is nothing to say at this time." The atmosphere is to refrain from retaliatory responses as much as possible and to carefully observe the situation.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.