[A summarized unofficial version of the press release]

KDCA Hosted Opening Ceremony of

Global Health Security Coordination Office (GHSCO)

Osong, 15th December 2023 ━ The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) marked a significant milestone with the official opening ceremony of the Global Health Security Coordination Office (GHSCO) on December 11.

As one of the leading countries in the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) since its launch in 2014, the Republic of Korea has actively contributed to strengthening global health security, including hosting GHSA Ministerial Meetings twice.

※ The Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) – GHSA is a joint initiative launched by countries and international organizations in February 2014 to strengthen the world's ability to prevent, detect, and respond to emerging infectious disease threats.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Korea’s commendable emergency preparedness and response have gained trust from the international community, resulting in numerous collaboration requests from various countries. Building upon this foundation, GHSCO has received global support, with high expectations for Korea’s expanded roles in global health security. The establishment of GHSCO in Korea, officially declared twice* has now come to fruition with its opening ceremony.

※ The establishment of a "Global Health Security (GHS) Coordination Office" in Korea was first declared at the Korea-US Summit in May 2022 and endorsed through the "New Seoul Declaration" at the GHSA Ministerial Meeting in November 2022.

The ceremony began with an opening address by Commissioner Youngmee Jee of the KDCA, followed by a congratulatory message delivered by Professor Myongsei Sohn, Chairperson of the Advisory Committee for Global Strategy of the KDCA. Additionally, congratulatory video remarks were conveyed by Deputy Secretary Hon. Andrea Palm of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Minister Cholnan Srikaew for Health in Thailand.

Subsequently, there was a session that presented and exchanged experiences related to GHSA and its activities as well as the way forward. Speakers from ROK, the U.S., Pakistan, and Ghana shared GHSA's vision and roles, the progress of GHSA projects, the GHSA Framework 2028, and potential regional collaboration between GHSCO and the U.S. CDC's Southeast Asia office.

Following the ceremony, participants explored GHSCO, located on the 2nd floor of the National Biobank of Korea, and engaged in a side event to communicate and exchange views.

GHSCO, serving as the GHSA executive secretariat, aims to support GHSA activities, foster information exchange and communication between countries and international organizations, and provide opportunities for collaboration with experts, as well as education and training.

Commissioner Jee emphasized, "The launch of GHSCO demonstrates Korea’s globally recognized response capacity for infectious diseases, underscoring global expectations for its responsibility and active contribution to global health security. The KDCA is committed to sparing no effort and providing full support to safeguard humanity against health threats."

* For detailed information, please refer to the press release written in the Korean language in the file attached below.