Jeong Eun-kyung Appointed as Director of KDCA... President Moon Says "We Will Overcome Even More Severe Infectious Diseases" (Comprehensive)

Moon "Even if a more severe infectious disease than COVID-19 comes after,
hope to have the capacity to respond and overcome proactively"
Kang Do-tae appointed as 2nd Vice Minister of newly established Ministry of Health and Welfare
Kim Kyung-sun appointed as Vice Minister of Ministry of Gender Equality and Family respectively

President Moon Jae-in appointed Jung Eun-kyung, the Director of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as the first Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on the 8th.

President Moon Jae-in on the 8th appointed Jung Eun-kyung (55), the current Director of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as the inaugural Commissioner of the newly established Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. Kang Do-tae (50), the current Director-General of Planning and Coordination at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, was appointed as the 2nd Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, and Kim Kyung-sun (51), the current Director-General of Planning and Coordination at the Ministry of Employment and Labor, was appointed as the new Vice Minister of Gender Equality and Family. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency was elevated from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the position of 2nd Vice Minister of Health and Welfare is newly created.

Kang Min-seok, the Blue House spokesperson, announced at a briefing at the Press Center that President Moon had made these vice minister-level appointments.

Commissioner Jung, born in 1965, graduated from Gwangju Jeonnam Girls' High School and Seoul National University College of Medicine, and earned a master's degree in public health and a doctorate in preventive medicine from the same university's graduate school. Commissioner Jung joined the Ministry of Health and Welfare through a health research officer career recruitment and has served as Director of Emergency Medical Services Division and Disease Policy Division at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Director of the Disease Prevention Center at the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Director of the Emergency Situation Center at the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency has expanded its organization and increased its staff significantly from 907 to 1,476, establishing a status and authority befitting a central administrative agency. The Blue House expects that the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency will work organically with the newly reorganized Ministry of Health and Welfare to implement unwavering quarantine measures and strengthened health and medical policies.

Spokesperson Kang explained the background of Commissioner Jung's appointment, saying, "She has made her best efforts on the front lines of quarantine to overcome the COVID-19 crisis and played a major role in establishing South Korea as a model country for COVID-19 quarantine," adding, "As the first Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, she is expected to elevate the country's infectious disease response and disease control and prevention system to the next level."

Vice Minister Kang, born in 1970, graduated from Seoul Myeonmok High School and Korea University with a degree in trade, and earned a master's degree in public administration from Seoul National University. He entered public service through the 35th administrative examination and is regarded as an administrative expert who has held various positions including Welfare Administration Officer, Director of Health and Medical Policy, and Director-General of Health and Medical Policy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

The multiple vice minister system in the Ministry of Health and Welfare, which is responsible for the health sector, is expected to strengthen expertise in health and medical fields and resolve health-related issues through smooth communication with the public and the medical community. It is also expected to play a leading role in 'mental health quarantine' and other areas, following the strengthening of the dedicated mental health policy organization.

President Moon Jae-in appointed Jung Eun-kyung, Director of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (from the left), as the first Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency; Kang Do-tae, Director of Planning and Coordination at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, as the Second Vice Minister of Health and Welfare; and Kim Kyung-sun, Director of Planning and Coordination at the Ministry of Employment and Labor, as the Vice Minister of Gender Equality and Family.

Spokesperson Kang said, "He has been recognized both domestically and internationally for his expertise and ability to carry out health and medical policies," adding, "As the first dedicated vice minister in the health and medical field, he is expected to responsibly promote key policies such as expanding the public health care system and strengthening health insurance coverage."

Vice Minister Kim, born in 1969, graduated from Gyeongbuk Yeongju Girls' High School and Seoul National University with a degree in English literature, and earned a master's degree in policy studies and a doctorate in law from the same university, as well as a master's degree in law from Indiana University in the United States. After entering public service through the 35th administrative examination, she served as Director of Women's Employment Division, Director of Youth and Women's Employment Policy, and Director of Aging Society and Human Resources Policy at the Ministry of Employment and Labor.

She is the first female Chief of the Policy Office at the Ministry of Employment and Labor and is recognized for her excellent work capabilities, coordination, and communication skills. Notably, she has achieved meaningful results in women's and youth-related work, such as introducing spousal paternity leave and reduced working hours during childcare periods.

Spokesperson Kang said, "She is expected to resolve important issues at the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, such as strengthening responses to sexual violence, and smoothly promote key policies including realizing a gender-equal and inclusive society and protecting and nurturing children and adolescents."

Vice Minister Kim's appointment date is the 9th, while Commissioner Jung and Vice Minister Kang's appointment dates are the 12th, coinciding with the Ministry of Health and Welfare's organizational restructuring and the launch of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.

President Moon Jae-in is presiding over a video Cabinet meeting at the Blue House on the morning of the 8th. On this day, President Moon attended the meeting without wearing glasses, unlike usual.

Earlier that day, the government approved a reorganization plan at the Cabinet meeting chaired by President Moon to elevate the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency and to create a new vice minister position in the health sector at the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

At the meeting, President Moon said, as conveyed by Blue House Deputy Spokesperson Lim Se-eun, "I expect the elevated Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency to strengthen infectious disease response capabilities and to have the capacity to proactively respond to and overcome even more severe infectious diseases that may arise after COVID-19."

President Moon also instructed, "Starting with the establishment of a dedicated vice minister in the health sector, focus on advancing our health care system to the next level, actively communicate with the medical community and the public, and do your best to expand public medical services, reduce regional medical disparities, and develop reasonable solutions to issues raised by the medical community to protect the lives and health of the people."

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