Departing Yoon Tae-ho 'Quarantine Chief' … "Quarantine Score? Responded Without Shame"

Leaving After a 3-Year 3-Month Term
Yoon Tae-ho, Head of Central Disease Control Headquarters' Quarantine Task Force

Appointed as Public Health Policy Officer at Ministry of Health and Welfare in 2018 Open Recruitment

"Achieved Both Daily Life and Quarantine Through Public Cooperation and Medical Staff Dedication"

Returning as Professor at Pusan National University from Second Semester

Yoon Tae-ho, Director of Public Health Policy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare and Head of the COVID-19 Central Accident Response Headquarters Quarantine General Team (Photo by Ministry of Health and Welfare)

[Asia Economy Reporter Chunhee Lee] "It is difficult to give a specific score. However, we have responded in a way that we can talk about without embarrassment even when going abroad."

Yoon Tae-ho, Director of Public Health Policy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare and Head of the COVID-19 Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters' Quarantine General Team, who has been in charge of COVID-19 quarantine operations, made this remark when asked to rate the current quarantine management situation with a 'score.' There is a sense of pride underlying his statement.

He will leave his position on the 30th of this month. He has served as Director of Public Health Policy for 3 years and 3 months since his appointment in March 2018 through an open recruitment process, coming from his role as a professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine at Pusan National University College of Medicine. Since the establishment of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters on January 27 last year, he has served for 510 days. He is considered a 'living witness' to South Korea's COVID-19 response.

Yoon's original term was until March of this year. However, Minister of Health and Welfare Kwon Deok-cheol, who took office in December last year, persuaded him to stay, and Yoon extended his term until the end of this month, saying, "I think things will be somewhat settled by the end of June."

However, COVID-19 has not yet ended. As of the 25th, new confirmed cases have remained in the 600s for three consecutive days, and the first-dose vaccination rate has not yet exceeded 30%. While expressing regret, he reflected, "Thanks to the cooperation of the public, the hard work of medical and quarantine personnel, and the dedication of public officials, our country has been able to catch two rabbits at once: daily life and quarantine."

Regarding future COVID-19 responses, Yoon warned, "As vaccinations continue, movements to ease entry policies will accelerate," adding, "There is a risk of accompanying mutations, so it is necessary to maintain testing capabilities."

He also emphasized that preparations for reaching the vaccination target of 70% should begin now. Yoon stated, "If non-pharmaceutical interventions such as social distancing are minimized, COVID-19 could become like seasonal influenza, for which vaccinations are given annually," and suggested, "At that time, whether it will be called 'social distancing' or 'return to normal life,' we do not know, but we need to consider the policy direction and start preparing now."

After completing his term, he plans to take a short break and then return to the university. He will resume teaching at Pusan National University College of Medicine from the second semester. When asked about his future role in COVID-19 response, he replied, "I may not have any special contributions, but if there is a need, I should not hesitate to help."

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