“Leaving the Hospital for the Frontlines of Disease Control”…First Epidemiological Investigators Appointed by Gwangju and Jeonnam Local Governments

Gwak Hyeongjun, Who Worked on the Front Lines of Infectious Disease Response
Decided to Enter Public Service Due to COVID-19
Officially Appointed After One Year of Training
"I Want to Contribute to Local Disease Control"

"COVID-19 was the decisive reason."

A doctor who left the hospital to stand on the front lines of infectious disease response has been appointed as the first epidemiological investigator affiliated with a local government in the Gwangju and Jeonnam regions.

Gwangsan-gu in Gwangju announced on the 16th that Gwak Hyeongjun has been officially appointed as an epidemiological investigator. Gwak, who is affiliated with the Infectious Disease Control Division at the Gwangsan-gu Public Health Center, left his hospital position and entered public service in September 2022, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. He said, "Facing a national disaster, I wanted to develop the specialized skills needed to respond to infectious diseases."

Park Byungkyu, mayor of Gwangsan District, Gwangju, presented the appointment certificate of the first public official epidemiologist in Gwangju and Jeonnam to Kwak Hyungjun, administrative officer, on the 16th. Provided by Gwangsan District

In August 2023, Gwak entered the "trainee epidemiological investigator" program at the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency and has since conducted epidemiological investigations on-site for outbreaks of diseases such as pertussis, measles, chickenpox, and tuberculosis. Despite his busy schedule, he completed the agency's basic and ongoing education programs and authored papers on infectious diseases, further developing his expertise.

Having completed his training period, he will now begin work as the first official epidemiological investigator affiliated with a local government in the Gwangju and Jeonnam regions. Going forward, he will oversee quarantine sites and conduct epidemiological investigations himself, taking on key practical roles in responding to infectious disease outbreaks.

Gwak said, "I am happy to have completed the training and to receive my appointment. I will do my best to make a real contribution to infectious disease management in the region."

Park Byungkyu, the head of the district office, said, "With the appointment of the first epidemiological investigator in Gwangsan-gu and the Gwangju and Jeonnam regions, we expect the local infectious disease response system to be significantly strengthened. We will establish a quarantine system that protects citizens' health through thorough prevention and rapid containment."