청, Controversy Over Appointment of Ki Moran as Quarantine Planning Officer... Continued Vaccine Supply Concerns

청 'Vaccine Not Urgent' Remarks by Kimo Ran Appointed as Quarantine Planning Officer
Opposition Criticizes as 'Expert in Obstructing Quarantine' and 'Favoritism Appointment'
Experts Urge 'Broad Acceptance of KDCA Opinions'

Professor Ki Mo-ran of the National Cancer Center appointed as the Blue House Quarantine Planning Officer.
Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] The Blue House's appointment of Professor Ki Moran from the National Cancer Center as the Director of Quarantine Planning, responsible for COVID-19 prevention, has sparked heated debate in political circles. Professor Ki's past statements and background have come under scrutiny, raising criticisms of 'professionalism controversy' and 'political appointment,' while the issue of 'overlapping duties' with the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), which currently oversees quarantine, has also been highlighted.

The Blue House explained that the appointment of Director Ki was intended to "enhance expertise in quarantine." However, some argue that, given the fierce global competition to secure vaccine supplies, this is a time when full efforts should be focused on vaccine procurement.

Earlier, on the 16th, the Blue House created the position of Director of Quarantine Planning during a cabinet reshuffle and appointed Professor Ki. However, Professor Ki's past remarks suggesting that "vaccine procurement is not urgent" became a point of contention.

In November last year, Professor Ki appeared on TBS Radio's "Kim Eo-jun's News Factory" and, when asked "Why is the government taking a relaxed approach to vaccine purchases?" she argued, "Considering the current level of patient cases in Korea, vaccine procurement is not that urgent. It is actually helpful that other countries are vaccinating first and revealing risks such as side effects."

She also stated, "We have contracted for the Pfizer vaccine, but if a better one comes out, we won't be able to switch," and "The vaccine procurement issue is not a mistake by the government," implying that there was no need to rush vaccine supply.

In response, opposition parties criticized the move, saying "They have appointed a person who disrupted quarantine as a key figure in quarantine." Lee Jong-bae, Policy Committee Chair of the People Power Party, said at an emergency committee meeting at the National Assembly on the 19th, "President Moon's selection of Professor Ki as Director of Quarantine Planning can only be seen as giving up on COVID-19 quarantine."

He added, "Professor Ki opposed the ban on entry from China at the early stage of COVID-19 and claimed that vaccines were not urgent when the whole world was rushing to secure them," criticizing, "This is like appointing a quarantine disruption expert as the Director of Quarantine Planning."

AstraZeneca (AZ) COVID-19 vaccine. / Photo by Yonhap News

Some opposition lawmakers also pointed out that Director Ki's husband ran as a Democratic Party candidate for Yangsan Gap, Gyeongnam Province, in last year's general election, suggesting the appointment might have political 'favor' motives.

Hwang Kyu-hwan, the party's senior deputy spokesperson, said in a statement on the 17th, "Professor Ki's husband ran as a Democratic Party candidate in Yangsan Gap during the last general election," and "This appointment is nothing more than another act of political favor." He added, "Moreover, Professor Ki has made statements that cast doubt on her qualifications as an expert and has shown political bias."

As the controversy intensified, the Blue House explained that Director Ki was appointed to strengthen expertise and communication skills in quarantine. They created a separate secretariat responsible solely for quarantine, apart from the existing Social Policy Secretariat that handled both quarantine and vaccine affairs, to enhance specialization. Regarding this, Professor Ki told a media outlet, "I mainly handle quarantine, and there is a separate person in charge of vaccines."

However, concerns were raised that this could reduce the authority of the KDCA, which already serves as the quarantine control tower, potentially causing confusion in quarantine efforts. On the 20th, spokesperson Bae Jun-young issued a statement saying, "The practical head, KDCA Director Jung Eun-kyung, manages both quarantine and vaccines, so does the control tower above have two people holding the baton? This is the birth of the 'quarantine disruption director,'" and criticized, "The Blue House should just admit that they appointed this person for political loyalty."

On the 1st, COVID-19 vaccinations were administered at the vaccination center set up in the Sports and Culture Center in Songpa-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

In particular, citizens expressed difficulty understanding the appointment of Director Ki, who previously said that "vaccine procurement is not urgent," amid fierce global competition to secure vaccines.

Lee, a worker in his 20s, said, "Isn't this a situation where many countries are making every effort to secure vaccines? Even if it was a past statement, it does not seem like a responsible judgment from an expert," and added, "Moreover, the Blue House suddenly appointed a director for quarantine planning, and if that person is controversial due to political neutrality issues, how can any citizen trust the government's quarantine policy?"

Experts suggested that the government should broadly gather and coordinate opinions from private experts and the KDCA.

Professor Lee Jae-gap of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Hallym University Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital said in an interview on MBC Radio's "Kim Jong-bae's Focus" on the 19th, regarding Director Ki's appointment, "If the Blue House appointed Professor Ki to rationalize various quarantine policies they want to implement, that is a worrying aspect," but added, "If Professor Ki properly gathers broad opinions from private experts and coordinates difficulties faced by the KDCA or Ministry of Health and Welfare in quarantine, she can fulfill the role desired by private experts."

Regarding vaccines, he said that supply could face disruptions due to surging demand. Professor Eom Jung-sik of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Gachon University Gil Medical Center said, "It takes time to establish a successful mass production system for vaccine supply, and verification of development is also necessary," and diagnosed, "Countries that developed vaccines naturally prioritize supply to their own countries. Our country is not the only one wanting vaccines; globally, demand for vaccines is surging, so uncertainty always exists."