Jeong Eun-gyeong: "If quarantine rules are followed, we can approach daily life without repeating foreign countries' mistakes"

Jung Eun-kyung, Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, attended the "COVID-19 Phased Recovery Implementation Plan Public Hearing" held on the 25th at the Korea Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, and listened to the keynote presentation by Park Hyang, Head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters' COVID-19 Prevention Team. The public hearing was organized by the Medical and Prevention Subcommittee of the Recovery Support Committee to introduce the draft plan for phased recovery and to gather opinions from experts and the public. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jung] As South Korea prepares to enter the 'gradual recovery of daily life (With Corona)' starting next month on the 1st, Jeong Eun-kyung, Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), expressed optimism that if the entire population strictly adheres to quarantine guidelines under autonomy and responsibility even as social distancing regulations are eased, the country can avoid following the missteps of other nations and reach the desired normalcy more quickly.

On the 25th, at the opening address of the 'Gradual Recovery of Daily Life Implementation Plan' public hearing held at the Korea Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, Commissioner Jeong stated, "Last Saturday (the 23rd), 70% of the entire population completed vaccination, laying the groundwork to begin the gradual recovery of daily life."

Commissioner Jeong noted, "As the COVID-19 pandemic has prolonged, the public has endured a difficult time for a long period. Now, based on the increased vaccination rate, we are preparing to transition to gradual recovery of daily life. However, it is very difficult to predict future developments, and there are many uncertainties."

She explained that currently, there are 10 million unvaccinated individuals, for whom COVID-19 remains deadly, and the burden on the healthcare system could increase.

Commissioner Jeong expressed concerns, saying, "The winter season, which is conducive to virus proliferation, is approaching, and there is a risk of increased respiratory infectious diseases such as influenza. The uncertainty regarding variant viruses remains, and there are concerns about waning vaccine effectiveness over time."

She particularly forecasted that a certain increase in confirmed cases is inevitable with the easing of social distancing, and once the vigilance in quarantine is relaxed, this trend will accelerate further.

Commissioner Jeong emphasized, "To successfully promote the recovery of daily life, it is necessary to continuously monitor the situation within manageable levels and proceed with a stable and gradual transition."

"First, we will raise the vaccination rate to over 80% of the entire population and swiftly promote additional vaccinations for high-risk groups," she stressed.

She also explained, "Through vaccination certification and negative test confirmation systems, we plan to ease social distancing centered on vaccinated individuals and promptly restore key socio-economic functions. However, we will carefully proceed to ensure that unvaccinated individuals are not discriminated against or marginalized during this process."

Furthermore, she stated, "Medical response will be reorganized focusing on severe patients, expanding home treatment for asymptomatic and mild cases to optimize the use of medical resources. Quarantine response will be rationally adjusted in epidemiological investigations and diagnostic systems considering the risk levels of vaccinated individuals."

Commissioner Jeong said, "The daily life we pursue is not exactly the same as before COVID-19. It is necessary to transition to a new life better prepared for the threat of infectious diseases than before, and through this, all citizens must together create a safer and happier daily life."

She added, "Through today's public hearing, we will attentively listen to the voices of various sectors and the public regarding multiple measures and, based on this, prepare a phased response plan to safely restore daily life."