White-haired Director Jeong Eun-kyung Departs... "It Was K-Quarantine Itself"

Jeong Eun-kyung, Former Director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, 4 Years and 10 Months
"Too Busy to Even Wash Hair" Recognized for Dedication to COVID-19 Response
Criticized During Omicron Spread Instead of Moon Administration

In January 2020 (left), Jeong Eun-kyeong, former Director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, had black hair, but by August of the same year (center) and on the 17th, when she held her farewell ceremony, her hair gradually turned whiter.

Former Director Jeong Eun-kyung of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) has stepped down from her position as the head of 'K-Quarantine' after a tumultuous tenure of 4 years and 10 months. Having fought on the front lines against COVID-19 for about 2 years and 4 months, half of her term, she expressed, "I am grateful for the opportunity to do my job well as a public official, and thanks to that, I was able to complete this heavy responsibility," adding, "It was a great honor and a source of pride."

On the morning of the 17th, former Director Jeong attended the full meeting of the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee, then returned to the KDCA in Cheongju, Chungbuk in the afternoon, where she held a farewell ceremony and bid farewell to the staff. At the private farewell event, employees presented her with letters of appreciation, videos, and bouquets. In her farewell speech, she said, "It was a great honor and pride for me to contribute to overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic and advancing disease control," but also expressed, "I feel heavy-hearted leaving behind a heavy burden while the pandemic is still ongoing."

To the staff, she said, "Our decisions and judgments greatly impact the lives and safety of the people, increasing the KDCA’s responsibilities, and the public’s gaze and expectations may feel burdensome and heavy," adding, "While carrying this heavy responsibility, I urge you to have more confidence, encourage each other, and I believe and support you in overcoming the COVID-19 crisis."

A physician by training, former Director Jeong entered public service in 1995 as a specially recruited researcher at the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (then the National Institute of Health) and devoted 28 years to disease control and quarantine efforts. She also took a leading role in crisis management during the 2015 Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak but was disciplined for the responsibility related to the spread at that time. After being appointed Director of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in July 2017, she became the inaugural director of the upgraded agency, the KDCA, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

She implemented the ‘3T (Test, Trace, Treat) strategy’ to overcome the COVID-19 crisis. Her efforts to explain the importance of COVID-19 vaccination to the public and personally persuade people led to a high vaccination rate of 80%, which is considered one of her achievements.

Throughout this process, her sincere response and selfless dedication left a deep impression. When confirmed cases surged rapidly in Daegu and Gyeongbuk in the early stages of the outbreak, she cut her hair short to save time on washing it, and her frequent use of donuts and lunch boxes as meals, as recorded in her expense reports, became a topic of discussion. As COVID-19 continued, her increasing gray hair and worn-out shoes, along with her calm and unwavering response, came to symbolize the fight against the pandemic. With the success of 'K-Quarantine' gaining international attention, she was named one of Time magazine’s '100 Most Influential People in the World' in 2020.

However, as a symbolic figure of the Moon Jae-in administration’s COVID-19 response, she also bore criticism alongside praise for the administration’s achievements. This year, amid the ongoing Omicron variant surge, the government’s relaxation of quarantine policies such as lifting social distancing led to increases in cases and deaths, and she was criticized for not voicing strong opinions as the head of quarantine. When the Yoon Suk-yeol administration labeled the Moon administration’s 'K-Quarantine' as 'political quarantine' and pledged to establish a 'scientific quarantine system,' former Director Jeong emphasized even as she left, "The KDCA is a central administrative agency centered on scientific expertise, and the public’s trust and leadership in health care come from our expertise," highlighting the importance of individual staff capabilities and the agency’s policy and research development.

Regarding being regarded as a 'national hero,' she said, "It is too much to deserve," and expressed respect and gratitude to the public who united their hearts to overcome COVID-19, as well as to frontline quarantine officials and medical staff. When asked about her future plans, she replied, "I will take some time off and reflect," but insiders expect she may return to her alma mater, Seoul National University College of Medicine, or similar institutions.