President Moon Jae-in's Message to Director Jeong Eun-kyung... Blue House "Concerned About Health, Hopes She Keeps Going"
[Asia Economy reporters Ryu Jeong-min and Son Seon-hee] "This situation has lasted for more than a month. (President Moon Jae-in) was concerned about health. He asked about physical strength and ultimately hoped that she would keep staying strong."
A Blue House official conveyed this on the 26th regarding the meaning of President Moon Jae-in's remark, "Anyway, keep staying strong." Interest was drawn as the content about Director Jeong Eun-kyeong of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), who is leading the response to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), became known.
President Moon is reported to have said things like "She might feel a bit drained," "Usually in such situations, people lose energy, so how is her physical strength?" and "Anyway, I hope she keeps staying strong." A Blue House official explained, "After patient number 31, the COVID-19 situation entered a new phase. It seemed like the flames were about to be extinguished, but then a new situation arose, so there is a sense of feeling drained," adding, "The president's message is that we will definitely win the fight against COVID-19, and this message was conveyed to the person at the forefront."
Earlier, President Moon showed special interest in Director Jeong and KDCA officials by sending red ginseng to the KDCA while visiting Namdaemun Market in Seoul. When he was the leader of the opposition party in 2015 during the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak, he visited the KDCA and stated, "If cooperation from the opposition party is needed, I will spare no support that I can provide."
Director Jeong is known to have first met President Moon in 2015. A Blue House official said, "(Director Jeong became) a vice minister-level director after the Moon Jae-in administration took office. She probably skipped the first-grade position." At a meeting with business leaders on the 13th, Son Kyung-sik, chairman of the Korea Employers Federation, emphasized the role of the KDCA and expressed the opinion that the agency's status should be elevated once COVID-19 is over.
A Blue House official said, "Several media outlets reported that (Director Jeong's) shortened hair was to save time washing it," adding, "Online, people are comparing photos of her gaunt face before and after COVID-19, showing how exhausted she has become."
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