PHWR Public Health Weekly Report

Vol.19 No.29, July 30, 2026 Article TypePolicy NotesQuickStatsSurveillance/Survey Reports

• Surveillance/Survey Reports 2026-07-30

  0 0 0

  Regional Distribution and Characteristics of Heat-Related Illnesses in the Capital Region in 2025: Focusing on Seoul, Incheon, Gyeonggi, Gangwon

  Sun-jin Nho , Soon-Ryu Seo , Hyun-kyung Oh

  Public Health Weekly Report 2026; 19(29): 1189-1204 https://doi.org/10.56786/PHWR.2026.19.29.1

  

  

  Abstract

  Full Text Cite Share

  Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the regional patterns and characteristics of heat-related illnesses across Seoul, Incheon, Gyeonggi, and Gangwon, which are under the jurisdiction of the Capital Regional Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Data were obtained from the 2025 Heat-Related Illness Emergency Department Surveillance System of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.
  Methods: Data were collected from May 15 to September 25, 2025. The surveillance system was based on the voluntary participation of emergency medical institutions, with 516 hospitals participating nationwide and 212 within the designated study area. Reported cases and suspected deaths were classified according to the place where the symptoms occurred, and regional characteristics and the distribution of cases at the city/country/district level were analyzed.
  Results: In 2025, there were 1,808 cases of heat-related illness and 11 suspected deaths recorded within the study area, accounting for 40.5% and 37.9% of the national totals, respectively. Compared with the previous year, reported cases increased by 60.9% in Seoul, 36.6% in Incheon, 27.5% in Gyeonggi, and 7.5% in Gangwon. These increases exceeded the national average increase of 20.4%. The proportion of patients aged 65 years or older was highest in Seoul (37.6%), whereas patients aged 30–59 years accounted for 47.4% of cases in Gyeonggi, where workplace-related occurrences were relatively prominent. The most common settings where heat-related illnesses occurred differed by region: roadsides and sports fields or parks in Seoul, outdoor worksites and roadsides in Incheon and Gyeonggi, and fields and roadsides in Gangwon.
  Conclusions: The data demonstrate that the incidence of heat-related illnesses in Seoul, Incheon, Gyeonggi, and Gangwon varied by age, occupation, timing, and location, with case distributions also varying at the local (city/country/district) level. These findings suggest that prevention strategies should consider these regional characteristics and distributions patterns into account and be developed in coordination with local government heatwave response systems.

• Policy Notes 2026-07-30

  0 0 0

  Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response for Mass Gatherings at Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games

  HyeRyeon Lee , Hyunsuk Koo , Young-Joon Park , Yeo-Won Jin , Siwon Choi , Hyosoon Yoo , Kyungho Kim , Hee-Sook Kim , Ahhyeon Jang , Hyeondong Ju , Jeong-Heon Lee , Jeonghyeon Oh , Namwoo Heo , Seongsun Kim , Sehyuck Jang , Juha Kim , Ja Eun Kim , Jeongseon Lee , Seunghyun Lewis Kwon , Hyungmin Lee , Sang Gu Yeo , Jeong-Ok Cha , Sangeun Lee

  Public Health Weekly Report 2026; 19(29): 1205-1226 https://doi.org/10.56786/PHWR.2026.19.29.2

  

  

  Abstract

  Full Text Cite Share

  Objectives: The Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games were large-scale international mass gathering events associated with an elevated risk of infectious disease transmission and potential cross-border spread. This report describes the infectious disease preparedness and response system established by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) to protect the Korean delegation and to generate evidence to inform policy development for future international mass gathering events.
  Methods: A structured preparedness and response framework was implemented before the event. This included the establishment of an interagency coordination mechanism and the development of a infectious disease preparedness and response plan. An infectious disease task force was constituted to conduct situation assessment meetings, epidemiological surveillance, risk assessment, and incident management. During the event, suspected and confirmed infectious disease cases were actively monitored, and all response activities were systematically documented for post-event evaluation.
  Results: The KDCA established a coordinated multi-sectoral response network involving relevant national ministries and supporting organizations, including the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee and the Korea Paralympic Committee. An infectious disease task force comprising a central headquarters unit and five functional teams was deployed for epidemiological surveillance, risk assessment, risk communication, situation management, and post-event evaluation. Continuous real-time monitoring and structured situation reporting enabled timely detection and response to potential public health threats during the event period. Two formal situation assessment meetings were conducted to ensure interagency coordination and operational alignment. Following the event, a structured post-event evaluation was conducted to assess response effectiveness, operational performance, and resource utilization.
  Conclusions: The KDCA response framework demonstrated operational feasibility for infectious disease risks during international mass gatherings. This system may serve as a foundational model for the development of a standardized national preparedness and response framework for future international events. It also provides policy-relevant evidence to support the institutionalization of coordinated public health emergency systems for future similar events.

• QuickStats 2026-07-30

  0 0 0

  Trends in the Prevalence of Current Drinking among Korean Adolescents, 2016–2025

  Yangha Kim

  Public Health Weekly Report 2026; 19(29): 1227-1228 https://doi.org/10.56786/PHWR.2026.19.29.3

  

  

  Full Text Cite Share