Im Seung-gwan, New Director of Disease Control Agency: "Aiming to Become the Control Tower for Infectious Disease Response"

[Financial News] Im Seung-gwan, the new director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, held an inauguration ceremony on the 14th and expressed his ambition to lead the agency as a control tower responding to new health threats such as infectious disease disasters, climate, and population crises. Director Im stated in his inaugural address, "The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency gained public trust through scientific and transparent quarantine throughout the COVID-19 crisis response," adding, "Now, based on these achievements, we must prepare for the next pandemic and future health risks."
Director Im identified strengthening national health security capabilities as a key task going forward. He explained, "We will review the pandemic experience and address weaknesses in infectious disease response," and "We will proactively refine the infectious disease response system based on the mid-to-long-term plans and data platform prepared by the agency."
Particularly, he plans to actively engage in development support projects for the localization of the 'mRNA' vaccine platform, which has emerged as a core technology for responding to the next pandemic, and to push for policies to achieve vaccine self-reliance.
He also emphasized future disease management strategies suitable for the era of climate change and aging. Director Im said, "We will establish a health impact monitoring and investigation system to prepare for climate disasters such as heatwaves and heavy rains, and promote frailty prevention projects centered on local communities in line with the super-aged society."
Plans to enhance the global status of the agency were also mentioned. Director Im emphasized, "Korea is a country equipped with world-class infectious disease response infrastructure, such as a diagnostic testing system, quarantine information system, and emergency situation room," and "We will actively engage in international cooperation and collaboration based on this infrastructure."
Director Im also plans to strengthen everyday policies to protect public health. 
Meanwhile, Director Im, who was appointed as the 4th director of the agency, is an infectious disease specialist who graduated from Ajou University Medical School and has served as an infectious disease specialist at the National Medical Center, director of Anseong Hospital at Gyeonggi Provincial Medical Center, and head of the Central Infectious Disease Hospital Establishment Promotion Team. He also played an active role on the front lines of quarantine as the head of the Gyeonggi Province COVID-19 Emergency Response Team during the COVID-19 pandemic.

vrdw88@fnnews.com Kang Jung-mo Reporter