SEOUL — South Korea has officially launched a comprehensive, multi-ministry government body designed to address the escalating risks of complex infectious disease threats driven by climate change, antimicrobial resistance, and zoonotic spillovers.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) announced that the inaugural meeting of the National One Health Infectious Disease Integrated Management Council (hereinafter referred to as the "One Health Council") was held at the Government Complex Sejong on July 30.
The initiative adopts the globally recognized "One Health" paradigm—a holistic public health approach based on the fundamental principle that human, animal, and environmental health are inextricably linked and interdependent. By breaking down traditional administrative silos, the council aims to foster interdisciplinary and multi-sectoral cooperation to prevent, monitor, and respond to emerging health threats.
A Unified Front Across Government and Regions
Chaired by the Commissioner of the KDCA, the newly formed council brings together over 30 senior officials at the director-general level or higher. The leadership spans 12 central government ministries alongside representations from 16 major municipal and provincial governments across the nation.
To ensure targeted operational efficiency, the council has established specialized working-level subcommittees underneath its main board. These subcommittees will focus on critical risk areas, including:
Zoonotic Diseases: Managing pathogens that cross the species barrier between animals and humans.
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR): Addressing the growing global crisis of drug-resistant superbugs.
Waterborne and Foodborne Pathogens: Overseeing safety and containment protocols across food supply chains and water systems.
Moving forward, the One Health Council will serve as the primary strategic hub for establishing national integrated disease management plans, discovering actionable cross-agency tasks, and deliberating on sector-specific agendas.
Establishing the Roadmap for Integrated Management
During its landmark first meeting, the council formally voted on and approved its organizational and operational framework. Participants also reviewed current departmental initiatives related to One Health and discussed detailed roadmap plans for formulating a long-term, integrated infectious disease management strategy.
Health authorities emphasized that the climate crisis has drastically altered ecosystems, expanding the habitats of disease vectors like mosquitoes and ticks, while intensive livestock farming and global trade continue to heighten the risk of novel zoonotic outbreaks. The creation of this central body marks a pivotal shift from reactive containment to proactive, cross-domain prevention.
"The launch of the National One Health Council has established a solid platform for seamless collaboration between relevant central government agencies and regional municipalities," stated KDCA Commissioner Lim Seung-kwan. "We are deeply committed to developing and executing highly effective, pan-governmental policies for infectious disease prevention and management to safeguard public health."
With this initiative, South Korea aligns itself with international health directives championed by the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), reinforcing its national security framework against future public health crises.
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