Yoon Administration's First Disease Control Director Recommended: Baek Kyung-ran, Professor at Sungkyunkwan University

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] Baek Kyung-ran, a professor at Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine (former president of the Korean Society of Infectious Diseases), is reportedly a strong candidate for the first Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency under the Yoon Seok-yeol administration.

According to the Presidential Office on the 16th, President Yoon has reportedly selected Professor Baek as the Commissioner of the Disease Control and Prevention Agency. Professor Baek served as a member of the Social Welfare and Culture Subcommittee of the Presidential Transition Committee.

After graduating from Seoul National University College of Medicine in 1987, Professor Baek worked as an infectious disease specialist at Samsung Seoul Hospital from 1994, serving as head of the Infection Control Office. Since 2007, he has also been a professor at Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine.

He participated in the transition committee upon the recommendation of Ahn Cheol-soo, the chairman of the committee, playing a role in designing a new COVID-19 quarantine system.

From December 2019 to November of last year, he served as president of the Korean Society of Infectious Diseases, contributing to the government’s quarantine policies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Professor Baek is known to be one year junior to Chairman Ahn at university and a classmate of Kim Mi-kyung, a professor at Seoul National University College of Medicine and the spouse of Chairman Ahn.