Quick Facts
Biography
Jung Eun-kyeong or Jeong Eun-kyeong (Korean: 정은경; Hanja: 鄭銀敬; born 1965) is a South Korean Infectious disease and public health expert currently serving as the Director of KCDC, Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, since her appointment by President Moon Jae-in in July 2017. Jung is the first woman to lead the KCDC since the creation of the agency and its preceding National Institute of Health (KNIH) in 2003 and 1981 respectively.
Before being promoted to the head of the KCDC, Jung led its Center for Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response. In 2015 MERS outbreak occurred and she became known to public since she was responsible for press briefings and crisis management as the director of the Center. She also previously worked as the head of KCDC's Center for Disease Prevention and Center's Department of Chronic Disease Control Research. She first joined the agency, then-KNIH, as a researcher in 1995.
Jung graduated from Seoul National University with three degrees: M.D., Master's in public health and doctorate in preventive medicine.