• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.265-270
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• 2015

The recent Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) outbreak has originated from a failure in the national quarantine system in the Republic of Korea as most basic role of protecting the safety and lives of its citizens. Furthermore, a number of the Korean healthcare system's weaknesses seem to have been completely exposed. The MERS-CoV outbreak can be considered a typical public health crisis in that the public was not only greatly terrorized by the actual fear of the disease, but also experienced a great impact to their daily lives, all in a short period of time. Preparedness for and an appropriate response to a public health crisis require comprehensive systematic public healthcare measures to address risks comprehensively with an all-hazards approach. Consequently, discussion regarding establishment of post-MERS-CoV improvement measures must focus on the total reform of the national quarantine system and strengthening of the public health infrastructure. In addition, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must implement specific strategies of action including taking on the role of "control tower" in a public health emergency, training of Field Epidemic Intelligence Service officers, establishment of collaborative governance between central and local governments for infection prevention and control, strengthening the roles and capabilities of community-based public hospitals, and development of nationwide crisis communication methods.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.133-145
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• 2015

Objectives: Food safety has become one of the major public-concerning issues in Korea. In order to set guidelines to create manuals for the response to a food safety crisis by food industry, this paper classified food safety crises and suggested techniques to determine crisis level. Methods: This study clarified common terminologies and definitions including in food safety crises. It reviewed various food safety crises and described characteristics, types, and states of crises. Results: The results of this study suggested that a food safety crisis implied a situation in which hazards/risk spreading in the food supply chain was widely described, causing strong public concern followed by a socioeconomic impact, and therefore, requiring the implementation of a prompt and full response regarding the situation. In terms of seeking response plans, food safety crises might be classified according to the penalties resulting from violations of laws and regulations, causative substances, stages of the food supply chain, and first contact point for incidents. The crisis level for a food safety crisis could be classified according to its severity parameters. The guideline matrix was divided into four major stages: Blue/guarded, Yellow/elevated, Orange/high, and Red/severe. This study also suggested several methods for determining the crisis level, such as the simple judgement method, scoring methods using a check-list and a weighted check-list. Conclusion: The severity of related parameters might be of great importance in understanding a crisis and determining response options/challenges for crisis levels.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.191-202
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• 2015

Objectives: Promotion of food safety/eradicating adulterated food has been listed as one of the four major issues recently identified for action by the Korean government. Due to the related seriousness, the food industry has been encouraged to take steps to restore consumer confidence. In order to set guidelines for the creation of manuals for the response to a food safety crisis by the food industry, this study provided a suggested organization for a crisis response team and operating procedures for crisis response activities. Methods: The prototypes of an organizational structure and a set of standard procedures for a crisis response system were provided. Results: The results of the study suggested that a crisis response team should be comprised of four divisions of responsibility: information analysis, site response, communication and operational support. The organization chart and the role and functions for each division of the crisis response team should be indicated. Response activities will be more effective when the team features multi-disciplined staffing, such as public relations, food safety/technology/quality, sales/marketing, purchasing, production, distribution/logistics, regulatory affairs/legal, and consumer service specialists. This study created a flow chart for the total crisis response system, which included crisis and normal situations. A crisis response team should be continuously operated for both crisis and normal conditions. This study also suggested a scenario to explain the procedures for crisis response activities. Conclusion: In order to cope more effectively with a food safety crisis, the organizational structure and its functions should be defined clearly, and a detailed set of standard procedures for response activities should be offered.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.203-204
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• 2023

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.217-230
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• 2000

For the longest time, our government has played an inconsiderable role in the public health services of Korea, especially as it relates to their investment. Voices have cried out against increases in national health expenditure and for more establishment of public medical facilities. In light of this, the necessity and importance of public medical facilities have come into focus amidst the recent medical crisis. When public medical facilities filled in the gap created by the suspension or closure of private hospitals and clinics as a result of this national crisis and acted as a safety net, the demand for more establishment of such facilities increased. Although patient diagnosis and treatment are the first priority of public medical facilities, they must also deal with scopes that private medical facilities do not deal with, dislike, or have difficulty with. In this respect, the closure or privatization of public hospitals to reduce their number just because of their low profits or financial burdens that must be carried by the government is to ignore their innate importance and social role; therefore, we must do all we can to block such efforts and further empower these public health facilities according to demands of the time. The improvement of public health services can be realized by redefining its goals and roles, increasing government funding, strengthening of existing public health facilities and reorganizing the public health services system. Even if public health facilities were to increase their medical services and be reinforced, they cannot take on all the services related to public health services, Therefore, in a country like ours where public health services come second to private health services in the health care system, the health of citizens can be safeguarded only when private and public facilities cooperate and private medical facilities share the social responsibilities. Only the show of interest and effort by government, politicians, health professionals, professional organizations and public can initiate the improvement that is sought.

• Journal of Contemporary Eastern Asia
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.69-81
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• 2017

This study examines how South Korean governments responded to the outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS) using the adaptive governance framework. As of November 24, 2015, the MERS outbreak in South Korea resulted in the quarantine of about 17,000 people, 186 cases confirmed, and a death of 38. Although the national government had overall responsibility for MERS response, there is no clear understanding of how the ministries, agencies, and subnational governments take an adaptive response to the public health crisis. The paper uses the adaptive governance framework to understand how South Korean governments respond to the unexpected event regarding the following aspects: responsiveness, public learning, scientific learning, and representativeness of the decision mechanisms. The framework helps understand how joint efforts of the national and subnational governments were coordinated to the unexpected conditions. The study highlights the importance of adaptive governance for an effective response to a public-health related extreme event.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.71-81
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• 2012

Objectives: Effective and efficient response for public health crisis necessitate planning how to respond and mobilize the resources in schools. We preformed this study to develop the strategies to improve efficiency of school health education in an outbreak of pandemic disease. Methods: We tried to review the policies, regulations and response systems of all related sectors, and advanced cases associated with pandemic disease control measures by searching databases and on-line networks connected with the Korean Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. Results: It was important to implement a consistent and systematic approach for educational offices and schools to prevent confusion resulted from the inaccurate information. First, the systems and action plans for school health should be established to prepare and respond to an outbreak of pandemic disease. Secondly, the strategies to improve the efficiency of school health education in public health crisis should be in place. Finally, the personnel pool would be needed to provide the crisis management programs. Conclusion: In order for staffs and students to have abilities to respond in an outbreak of pandemic disease, comprehensive school health approaches and efficient educational efforts should be prepared in collaboration with related sectors.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.14-21
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• 2011

Objectives: The regulatory changes in Korea during the national economic crisis 10 years ago and in the current global recession were analyzed to understand the characteristics of deregulation in labor policies. Methods: Data for this study were derived from the Korean government's official database for administrative regulations and a government document reporting deregulation. Results: A great deal of business-friendly deregulation took place during both economic crises. Occupational health and safety were the main targets of deregulation in both periods, and the regulation of employment promotion and vocational training was preserved relatively intact. The sector having to do with working conditions and the on-site welfare of workers was also deregulated greatly during the former economic crisis, but not in the current global recession. Conclusions: Among the three main areas of labor policy, occupational health and safety was most vulnerable to the deregulation in economic crisis of Korea. A probable reason for this is that the impact of deregulation on the health and safety of workers would not be immediately disclosed after the policy change.

• 대한예방의학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.164-165
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• 2001

• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.27-49
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• 2010

This paper provides insight into some important features of the intergenerational resource allocation in Korea, before and after the financial crisis in 1997-98. Data sets of three periods before and after the financial crisis (1996, 2000, and 2005) were used to compare the results. This research particularly addresses two related issues: i) the generational effects of economic crisis, and ii) the capacity of age reallocation systems to spread economic risks across generations. The results show tremendous consumption smoothing and resource reallocation by age, during and after the financial crisis. Private education and private health consumption decreased for children between 1996 and 2000. However, the decrease in private education and private health consumption was mitigated by the increase in public consumption. It appears that the public sector did not only mitigate the adverse impact of the economic crisis on consumption, but it also reduced the widening disparity amongst generations. Within transfers, the public transfers for the elderly increased substantially as the private transfers decreased rapidly. Finally, there was a big increase in the asset-based reallocation of the elderly. The increase in asset-based reallocation was mainly due to an increase in asset income between 1996 and 2000, but it was almost entirely due to a decrease in saving (i.e. an increase in dissaving) between 2000 and 2005. This suggests that Korean elderly seemed to have some degree of supporting system during the crisis, even without sufficient pension benefits. The increased reliance on asset accumulation will be critical in the long-run in Korea, as public pension funds diminish due to population aging.