President Moon, who found a test kit company during Seol... "No need for hoarding" (Comprehensive)

'Reconfirming the Issue of Diagnostic Kit Supply Again and Again
President Moon Instructs Aides He Will Personally Visit Quarantine Sites'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] President Moon Jae-in visited the self-test kit manufacturing company 'SD Biosensor' located in Osong, Cheongju, Chungbuk, on the morning of the 30th to encourage the staff.

Earlier that morning, President Moon chaired the full meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) in response to North Korea's missile launch and immediately headed to the site.

This company is the largest domestic self-test kit manufacturer, capable of producing up to 4.5 million kits per day. Recently, due to the spread of the Omicron variant, the production line has been operating for 4 out of 5 days during the Lunar New Year holiday, including weekends, to expand kit supply.

Considering concerns raised about a 'diagnostic kit shortage,' President Moon repeatedly inquired with the company and government departments about supply issues to confirm the situation.

President Moon asked, "Our three companies have a daily production capacity of 7.5 million kits, and SD Biosensor alone can produce 4.5 million per day. Does this mean there is absolutely no supply problem?" In response, Kim Jin-seok, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, explained, "Stable supply is possible."

President Moon also confirmed that "Unlike masks, the quantity we can supply is sufficient, so there is absolutely no need for individuals to hoard, and illegal distribution or unfair trade is unlikely to occur."

He also asked Cho Young-sik, Chairman of SD Biosensor, "Is it possible to convert almost all export volumes for domestic use?" Chairman Cho replied, "We can fully cooperate with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety."

He also mentioned the accuracy of the self-test kits. President Moon asked, "It has been known that the accuracy was lower than PCR tests, but what is the current status?" Chairman Cho stated, "The U.S. National Institutes of Health evaluated 11 products, approved 2 of them, and the sensitivity is 95.3%."

President Moon said, "This means the accuracy is comparable to early PCR tests," and added, "There are still many preconceived notions from when it was first developed, so I hope you promote it widely."

President Moon evaluated, "So far, we have been well prepared for Omicron. We have succeeded in managing the numbers to increase gradually by raising vaccination rates, and on the other hand, we have secured enough hospital beds, allowing us to respond with considerable capacity in the medical system. This is the part where we have prepared well."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

After visiting SD Biosensor, President Moon proceeded to the temporary screening clinic installed at the Anseong rest area on the Gyeongbu Expressway to encourage the workers and personally took a rapid antigen test using a test kit.

Meanwhile, it is known that the visit to the quarantine site was President Moon's idea. Park Soo-hyun, Chief of Public Communication at the Blue House, posted on his Facebook about 'Stories of the President not included in the briefing,' stating that President Moon told his aides, "This year, I want to focus on responding to Omicron and directly inspect the field."

The aides suggested, "Let's quietly visit a nearby public health center or police station near the Blue House to encourage them," but President Moon wanted to visit the quarantine site in person. He told his aides, "First, I want to check the temporary screening clinic installed at the highway rest area. I want to directly confirm whether citizens traveling during the Lunar New Year holiday are able to take rapid antigen tests without inconvenience."

He also instructed, "Don't just do one schedule; I want to visit the diagnostic test kit manufacturing plant where sufficient production and stable supply are possible, so please prepare for that." Chief Park said, "Ultimately, today's Lunar New Year schedule was decided directly by the President," adding, "This shows how much the President's mind is focused on responding to Omicron."

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