Opening

Welcoming remarks

• 
  Youngmee Jee

  Commissioner,
  Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency

  Education

  • 1997 Ph.D, Virology, University of London, United Kingdom
  • 1988 Diploma, Medical Microbiology, University of London, United Kingdom
  • 1986 MD, Seoul National University Medical School, Republic of Korea

  Experience

  • 2022 ~ Present Commissioner, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency
  • 2020 ~ Present Member , WHO International Health Regulation Emergency Committee on COVID-19
  • 2017 ~ 2019 Director-General, Center for Infectious Disease Research, Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Ministry of Health and Welfare
  • 2014 ~ 2017 Director-General, Center for Immunology and Pathology, Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Ministry of Health and Welfare
  • 2007 ~ 2014 Regional Coordinator, Expanded Programme on Immunization, Western Pacific Regional Office, World Health Organization (WHO)
  • 2021 ~ 2022 Chief Executive Officer , Institute Pasteur Korea
  • 2017 ~ 2020 Member, WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts for Immunization (SAGE)
  • 2017 ~ 2019 President, Korean Society of Infectious Diseases
  • 2016 ~ 2019 Member, Board of Trustees of the International Vaccine Institute (IVI)

• Congratulatory Remarks

  
  Hyunghoon Lee

  Vice Minister for Health,
  Ministry of Health and Welfare

  Education

  • Doctoral Condidate, University of York, UK
  • Master of Public Administration, Seoul National University, Korea
  • B.A. in Business Administration, Yonsei University, Korea

  Experience

  • 2025 ~ Present Vice Minister for Mental Health Ministry of Health and Welfare
  • 2023 ~ 2025 Director General for Mental Health Policy Ministry of Health and Welfare
  • 2022 ~ 2023 Director General for Healthcare Policy Ministry of Health and Welfare
  • 2021 ~ 2022 Director General for Health Industry Policy Ministry of Health and Welfare
  • 2020 ~ 2021 Director General for National Pension Finance Ministry of Health and Welfare
  • 2017 ~ 2020 Spokesperson Ministry of Health and Welfare
  • 2016 ~ 2017 Director General for Korean Medicine Ministry of Health and Welfare
  • 2014 ~ 2016 Director for National Pension Finance Ministry of Health and Welfare
  • 2012 ~ 2014 Director for National Pension Finance Ministry of Health and Welfare
  • 1995 Passed the 38th High Civil Service Examination

• Congratulatory Remarks

  
  Gil-Joon Suh

  President,
  National Medical Center(NMC)

  Education

  • 1996 Ph.D. in Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Republic of Korea
  • 1994 M.Sc. in Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Republic of Korea
  • 1984 M.D., Seoul National University College of Medicine, Republic of Korea

  Experience

  • 2025 ~ Present The 6th President, National Medical Center, Korea
  • 2016 ~ Present Full Member, National Academy of Medicine of Korea
  • 1999 ~ 2025 Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital
  • 1999 ~ 2025 Professor, College of Medicine, Seoul National University
  • 2015 ~ 2017 Director, International Research Center for Disaster Medicine, Seoul National University
  • 2011 ~ 2016 Director, Trauma Center, Seoul National University Hospital
  • 2012 ~ 2013 Deputy Minister for Planning and Coordination; Deputy Director for Medical Services; and Director, Public Healthcare Policy Headquarters
  • 2012 ~ 2013 President, Korean Society of Traumatology
  • 2009 ~ 2011 Chairman, Korean Society of Emergency Medicine
  • 2003 ~ 2010 Chair, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Seoul National University
  • 2000 ~ 2010 Head, Department of Emergency Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital
  • 1997 ~ 1998 Visiting Scholar Stanford University Medical Center, USA
  • 1992 ~ 1997 Specialist, Central Veterans’ Hospital, Korea

• Congratulatory Remarks

  
  Seok-Hoon Chang

  President,
  Samsung Global Research

  Education

  • M.B.A. University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
  • B.A Yonsei University, Economics

  Experience

  • 2023 ~ Present President, Corporate Social Contribution, Samsung Global Research
  • 2018 ~ 2023 CEO, Samsung Securities
  • 2013 ~ 2017 Executive Vice President, Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance
  • 2009 ~ 2012 Executive Managing Director, HR Division, Samsung Securities
  • 2007 ~ 2008 Director, Product Support, Samsung Securities

Keynote Speech

Overview of KH Donation Initiatives

Session 1. Building Research Infrastructure for Global Clinical Trial Networks on Infectious Diseases and AMR Surveillance

Speaker

• 
  David Paterson

  Professor,
  National University of Singapore

  Topic

  • Clinical trial collaboration networks : ADVANCE-ID and AMR research

  Summary
• 
  Hong-Bin Kim

  Professor, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital

  Topic

  • Clinical trial networks by ID specialty hospital and collaboration for global networks

  Summary

  • In a public health crisis such as COVID-19, it is important to collect and analyze clinical data for correct decision-making as much as accurate and prompt information delivery. In particular, randomized controlled trials are considered the highest level of evidence to establish causal associations in clinical research. For these purposes, it is necessary for competent researchers to have much experiences in gathering and processing various data collected by multi-center network with the support of human, organizational, and financial resources. Although small-scale multi-center clinical studies or trials have been conducted in Korea, there is currently no system that can respond quickly to such a crisis. Therefore, it is significant to participate in international clinical trials including ACTT and STRIVE led by the US NIH, as well as RAPID trial led by ADVANCE-ID, in order to develop core competencies while addressing areas of improvement. With a clinical research network centered around the ID specialty hospitals and a global collaborative partership, we will be able to take proactive measures to a range of infectious disease challenges, including but not limited to antimicrobial resistance - also known as the silent pandemic.
• 
  Robert Turner Schooley

  Professor,
  University of California San Diego

  Topic

  • Critical role of Bacteriophages in adressing Global AMR CRISIS

  Summary

  • As the global pandemic of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has accelerated in the setting of a relatively dry antibiotic pipeline, it has become increasingly clear that novel approaches to the crisis are urgently required. Recent “bench to bedside” research advances in bacteriophage therapy provide strong support for further investment in bacteriophages as one of the most promising tools in our response to the AMR challenge. Over the past decade an increasing number of case reports of the successful use of phages to treat AMR infections have appeared in the peer reviewed medical literature. More importantly, over the past two years, several rigorous randomized, double-blinded Phase 1 – 2b clinical trials have emerged that provide further support to this therapeutic modality. These trials have demonstrated clinical and/or microbiological success in the use of environmental and genetically engineered phages to treat infections caused by a variety of gram positive, gram negative and acid-fast organisms affecting the urinary tract, lungs, skin and soft tissues and the vascular system. Experience with the hundreds of patients reported in expanded access and clinical trial settings has reaffirmed the safety of properly prepared phage preparations in the treatment of significant human infections. Based on current momentum in the field, we anticipate that Phase 3 trials will be initiated for several key indications over the coming two years and that phage therapy will become an important component of the global response to AMR infections.
• 
  Dong-Eun Yong

  CEO / Professor, MicrobiotiX / Yonsei University

  Topic

  • Recent regulatory strategies on the bacteriophage therapeutics

  Summary

  • Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) constitutes a significant global health threat. As the efficacy of conventional antibiotics diminishes, bacteriophages are re-emerging as a viable therapeutic alternative. Bacteriophages, viruses that specifically infect and lyse target bacteria, offer novel potential for treating infections caused by antibiotic-resistant pathogens. However, the clinical application of bacteriophages for human infections faces regulatory challenges. In South Korea, the development and approval of novel phage therapies currently necessitate adherence to the standard pharmaceutical regulatory pathway, involving Investigational New Drug (IND) applications and subsequent New Drug Application (NDA) or Biologics License Application (BLA) submissions. This established process, while ensuring rigorous evaluation, demands substantial time and resources. Consequently, there is a growing discourse regarding the need for potential refinements to the legislative framework to better accommodate and expedite the deployment of phage therapies. In contrast, various international regulatory frameworks have adopted diverse approaches to facilitate the use of phage therapy for treating patients. For instance, several Eastern European nations possess extensive historical experience with phage applications. Belgium utilizes a unique "magistral preparation" system, allowing pharmacists to compound patient-specific phage formulations based on physician prescriptions. Furthermore, countries including the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States employ compassionate use or special access schemes, enabling patient access to phage therapy prior to formal marketing authorization under specific circumstances. This presentation aims to critically evaluate these diverse international regulatory models for phage therapy in comparison with the current South Korean landscape. Through this comparative analysis, we seek to foster discussion on potential future directions for optimizing the regulatory environment and facilitating the responsible integration of bacteriophage therapy into clinical practice within South Korea.

Session 2: Strengthening Medical Research Capacity for Pandemic Response at Infectious Disease Hospitals

Speaker

• 
  Jamie Rylance

  Clinical Management Expert, WHO

  Topic

  • Development and use of the WHO Global Clinical Platform for future pandemic responses

  Summary

  • For emerging and re-emerging diseases, we frequently understand the epidemiology of illness before we gain an understanding of the clinical characteristics. The WHO Global Clinical Platform was created during the early COVID-19 pandemic as a means for clinicians, researchers and institutions to contribute to this knowledge gap. The combined power of analyses from hundreds of partners has let to important insights in disease in children, pregnant women, those who are immunocompromised, and for specific global regions. Other epidemics, including “historical diseases” can benefit from the same approach (for example mpox, Marburg virus, cholera, diphtheria, dengue). However, this requires us to overcome concerns about data security, data ownership, duplicative data entry, and the one-way nature of data sharing when it is done badly. The presentation will highlight successes, lessons learnt, and future directions for the WHO platform and clinical data sharing more broadly.
• 
  Ki-Tae Kwon

  Professor, Kyungpook National University Chilgok Hospital

  Topic

  • Efficient Hospital Bed Assignment and Resource Allocation Strategies for Pandemic Response

  Summary

  • The COVID-19 pandemic clearly demonstrated that efficient hospital bed assignment and resource allocation strategies are not merely administrative tasks, but core components of a resilient healthcare system during large-scale infectious disease outbreaks. This lecture explores practical strategies and technologies aimed at maximizing healthcare system capacity and optimizing the distribution of limited resources in the context of a pandemic. It focuses on how data-driven tools—such as artificial intelligence, machine learning–based forecasting models, real-time monitoring dashboards, and predictive analytics—can support bed management and resource allocation. The lecture also examines the importance of inter-hospital cooperation, load balancing, and the establishment of ethical triage criteria, illustrated through case studies. Drawing on COVID-19 response experiences from various countries, the session analyzes both effective strategies and their limitations, and proposes integrated approaches for future public health emergency preparedness.
• 
  Michaela Diercke

  Head of surveillance unit, Robert Koch Institute

  Topic

  • Syndromic surveillance of infectious diseases – Examples from Cermany

  Summary

  • Syndromic surveillance is an important tool for early detection of outbreak of infectious diseases. This presentation will show experiences and plans for further developing syndromic surveillance in Germany.
• 
  Myung-Hee Kim

  Director, National Medical Center

  Topic

  • Healthcare demand prediction based on mechanistic modelling and assessment of healthcare system capacity for pandemic preparedness

  Summary

  • During a large-scale infectious disease outbreak, it may be difficult to meet all the healthcare needs of infected patients, leading to disruptions in the provision of essential health services. The excess deaths observed in many countries during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic were associated with the collapse of healthcare systems due to a surge in demand for healthcare, and a similar phenomenon was observed in Korea in the spring of 2022. A “whole health system approach” - from primary care in the community or at home to critical care in tertiary hospitals - is a key strategy for strengthening the resilience of the health system during a pandemic. This approach requires information on the distribution of healthcare resources and the actual provision of essential health services during normal times, as well as information on resources that can be immediately used or diverted to care for patients with infectious diseases. The speed and magnitude of an outbreak depend on the infectivity of the pathogen,and the effectiveness of interventions, which together with the virulence of the pathogen determine the demand for healthcare resources needed to treat patients with infectious disease in a given unit of time and space. In order to plan a healthcare response to a pandemic, it is necessary to develop pandemic scenarios and forecast healthcare needs by infectious disease under different conditions. In particular, it is necessary to diagnose and prepare for gaps between the projected demand for infectious disease care and essential health services and current capacity of healthcare system to provide infectious disease care while maintaining essential healthcare functions during surge events. In order to prepare an evidence-informed healthcare policy for public health emergencies, it is necessary to diagnose the capacity of health systems, develop pandemic scenarios and forecast overall healthcare needs, beyond modelling infectious disease epidemics.

Closing