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배종면 교수, 대통령 표창 수상
South Korean presidential citation given to JNU professor for excellence in COVID-19 control

Bae Jong-myeon, a Jeju National University professor, received a presidential citation from the national government, Jeju National University announced Tuesday (April 20).

During the 49th World Health Day ceremony held on April 6, the South Korean president gave the citation to the local head of the Jeju Center for Infection Control, recognizing his contribution to improving public health by controlling the spread of COVID-19.

Bae was appointed as one of Jeju’s private-sector epidemiological inspectors in 2015 when South Korea was hit by the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome. After successfully controlling the disease on Jeju Island, the JNU professor took office as the head of the provincial infectious disease control agency in 2016.

When South Korea faced an imminent crisis due to the rampant increase in the confirmed COVID-19 cases last year, the disease control leader suggested quarantine measures that are tailored to the local conditions. Bae also identified the social groups at increased risk for the severe illness and led the development of safety measures for them.

According to the citation, Bae helped prevent the spread of the pandemic by planning the quarantine strategies and applying them to the correspondence training against COVID-19 in schools and to large-scale events held on Jeju Island.

Particularly, the preventive medicine specialist briefed the local public on the changing situations and responded to the media with reliable sources, helping to reduce social unrest.

Accepting the citation, the JNU professor pledged to continue to keep Jeju Island safe from infectious diseases by introducing advanced disease control efforts.