Departing Kwon Deok-cheol... "Focused all efforts on overcoming the crisis of the 3rd COVID-19 wave"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] On the 25th, Kwon Deok-cheol, Minister of Health and Welfare, stated in his farewell address that he was appointed during the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and focused all his efforts on overcoming the crisis.

Earlier, Minister Kwon held a farewell ceremony at the Ministry of Health and Welfare building on the 17th, but he received a dismissal order on this day and left a farewell address. In his address, Minister Kwon shared, "I could hardly sleep due to the heavy responsibility of needing to overcome the seemingly endless COVID-19 crisis as soon as possible, and even while sleeping, I was only thinking about overcoming COVID-19."

He then reflected on the achievements in quarantine measures since his appointment, including the expansion of residential treatment centers, adjustment of social distancing, and the intergovernmental vaccine introduction task force, saying, "There were several cliff-edge crises such as a rapid increase in confirmed and critically ill patients and depletion of medical resources, but thanks to your tireless efforts day and night, we were able to overcome them."

Regarding the 'gradual recovery of daily life,' which was halted due to the surge in confirmed cases, Minister Kwon expressed regret but evaluated that damage was minimized during the Omicron period. He said, "I remember starting the gradual recovery of daily life last November based on the achievement that over 70% of the entire population had completed the first and second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Unfortunately, there were times when the recovery had to be temporarily paused due to a renewed surge in confirmed and critically ill patients, but by preparing for the possibility of Omicron variant spread, focusing on securing hospital beds, supplementing and supporting medical personnel, providing medical equipment, and compensating medical institutions for losses due to bed expansion, the fatality rate relative to confirmed cases was low enough to be praised by foreign media, minimizing the damage caused by COVID-19," he explained.

He also highly evaluated the elevated status of the domestic bio industry triggered by COVID-19. Minister Kwon said, "We have become a country that not only produces global vaccines such as Moderna, AstraZeneca, Novavax, and Sputnik V under contract based on the world's second-largest biopharmaceutical production capacity but also develops our own vaccines."

Regarding welfare policies, he said, "Achievements made during the COVID-19 situation include temporary livelihood support for low-income groups, increases in basic pensions and disability pensions, and the establishment of a roadmap for community integration of disabled persons who left institutions." In the health sector, he stated, "It is clear that we not only reached a labor-management agreement with the Health and Medical Workers' Union but also worked on expanding the public healthcare foundation, establishing a preventive health management base, and supporting mental health."

Finally, Minister Kwon urged the Ministry of Health and Welfare, which will work with the new minister, to adopt an attitude of 'a learning professional' and 'communication with the field.' He said, "If you are bound by existing practices, you cannot adapt to change or develop, so you must cultivate professionalism in your work while pursuing innovation," adding, "By frequently visiting the field, listening to the opinions of field workers, and communicating with them often, you can discover clues to solving problems that are not visible while sitting at your office desk."

With the resignation of Jeong Ho-young, the nominee for Minister of Health and Welfare, on the 23rd and Minister Kwon’s dismissal on this day, the Ministry of Health and Welfare is now in a complete state of vacancy.

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