[Profile] Kim Gang-rip, Nominee for Commissioner of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety

Kim Kang-rip, the 1st Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, is delivering a commemorative speech at the '2020 Senior Job Week Ceremony' held on the afternoon of the 21st at the Sky31 Convention in Lotte World Tower, Songpa-gu, Seoul. September 21, 2020 Photo by Joint Press Corps

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] Kim Kang-lip (55), the 1st Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, has been appointed as the Commissioner of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.

Since January, when the first confirmed case of COVID-19 was reported in South Korea, Kim has been widely recognized by the public for leading the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters briefings.

Until mid-September, he served as the Chief Coordinator of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, playing a key role in implementing early COVID-19 measures such as "social distancing" and establishing "living treatment centers" for mild and asymptomatic patients. He also made significant contributions to strengthening domestic quarantine measures by creating a system that mandated self-quarantine for overseas entrants who tested positive.

Following the organizational restructuring of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, a dual vice minister system was introduced on September 12, and Kim took on the role of 1st Vice Minister, overseeing planning, coordination, and welfare affairs, while serving as the chief spokesperson for the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters.

He passed the 33rd Administrative Examination and has held positions including Director of Health and Medical Policy, Director of Health and Medical Policy Office, Director of Planning and Coordination Office, and 1st Vice Minister at the Ministry of Health and Welfare. He is known within the ministry for his meticulousness and excellent communication and harmony skills. During his tenure as Director of the Health and Medical Policy Office in 2017, he contributed to the formulation of policies to strengthen health insurance coverage, focusing on the inclusion of medically non-reimbursed services.

▲ Cheorwon, Gangwon Province (55) ▲ Sociology, Yonsei University ▲ Master’s in Social Welfare, University of Chicago, USA ▲ PhD in Public Health, Yonsei University ▲ Director of Health and Medical Policy, Ministry of Health and Welfare ▲ Director of Health and Medical Policy Office, Ministry of Health and Welfare ▲ Director of Planning and Coordination Office, Ministry of Health and Welfare ▲ 1st Vice Minister, Ministry of Health and Welfare