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Busan Metropolitan City to Conduct 2026 Crisis Management Response Training for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases

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Busan Metropolitan City, led by Mayor Chun Jae-soo, announced that it will conduct the “2026 Crisis Management Response Training for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases” tomorrow, September 16, at Avani Central Busan Hotel. Approximately 100 officials from organizations involved in infectious disease response will participate in the training, which is designed to prepare for the possible introduction of Ebola virus disease into Korea.

The training has been organized in response to the recent occurrence of Ebola virus disease overseas and the possibility of its introduction into Korea. It aims to enhance the public health emergency response capabilities of local governments and related organizations and to assess initial response capacity and interagency cooperation systems through a simulation based on a real-life scenario.

As Busan is an international gateway city with active domestic and international movement of people through its port and airport and hosts a wide range of international events, rapid initial response and close cooperation among relevant organizations are particularly important in preparing for the introduction of emerging infectious diseases from abroad.

Approximately 100 people will participate in the training, representing Busan Metropolitan City, the Gyeongnam Regional Disease Response Center of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, public health centers in all 16 districts and the county, the Busan Center for Infectious Disease Control & Prevention, the Busan Metropolitan City Institute of Health and Environment, quarantine stations, the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency, the Busan Fire and Disaster Headquarters, the Busan Metropolitan City Office of Education, and partner medical institutions.

Participants will be divided into groups for a program that includes lectures on the characteristics of and response to Ebola virus disease, introductions to the duties of related organizations, scenario-based action and discussion exercises, and demonstrations and hands-on practice in donning and doffing Level C personal protective equipment.

During the action-based morning exercise, participants will practice the step-by-step response procedures required in the event of an infectious disease outbreak as if responding to an actual incident. The exercise will begin with the management of overseas arrivals and responses to case reports and proceed through preparations for field deployment, epidemiological investigation, case classification, transport of suspected patients and specimen testing, and the management of confirmed patients and contacts.

During the discussion-based afternoon exercise, participants will assume a scenario in which an overseas arrival is confirmed to have Ebola virus disease in the community or at a medical institution. They will discuss contact management, patient transport, the roles of individual organizations, and areas requiring cooperation, and jointly develop response measures for additional confirmed cases and unexpected situations.

This year, the training places an even greater emphasis on field-oriented exercises. Team leaders and epidemiological investigators from district and county public health centers will serve as group leaders and deputy group leaders and directly conduct the group exercises. The roles of organizations in the medical, quarantine, fire, police, and education sectors will also be incorporated into the training to assess the on-site response capabilities and interagency cooperation systems required in an actual crisis.

Following the training, an internal evaluation will be conducted to select the best-performing group. The results of a comprehensive evaluation of the overall exercise will also be used to improve the infectious disease crisis response system in the future.

Jo Gyu-yul, Director General of the Citizen Health Bureau of Busan Metropolitan City, said, “As an international gateway city, Busan must be thoroughly prepared for the possible introduction of emerging infectious diseases from abroad, and cooperation among relevant organizations is more important than anything else.”

He added, “Through this training, we will strengthen our on-site response capabilities and further reinforce cooperation among relevant organizations, while doing our utmost to protect the health and safety of our citizens.”