IVI and the Republic of Korea

 

Member State Relations

 

On 28 October 1996, the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations signed the IVI Establishment Agreement.

 

On 17 December 1996, the government of Korea ratified the IVI Establishment Agreement.

 

State Funder

The Ministry of Health and Welfare of the Republic of Korea contributes 30% of IVI annual operating budget.

 

Host Country Agreement

On 7 January 1999, the Government agreed to become the host country of IVI Headquarters.

 

Korean text of the IVI Headquarters Agreement

English text of the IVI Headquarters Agreement

 

Korean Leadership at IVI

 

The government of Korea is represented on the IVI Board of Trustees by Dr. Dokeun Kim, Director General of the Center for Vaccine Research at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases.

 

Key Areas of Collaboration

 

Vaccine Research, Development, and Innovation

  • Introduced global public-private partnership paradigm for vaccine development in Korea

 

Korean Industry Partners

  • SK Bioscience: technology transfer and support for typhoid conjugate vaccine (partners: Gates Foundation, US NIH)
  • EuBiologics: technology transfer and support for oral cholera vaccine (partners: Gates Foundation, GHIF)
  • GeneOne Life Science: clinical trial support for MERS vaccine (partner: Samsung)
  • Green Cross: support on Zika diagnostics

 

Products

  • Developed oral cholera vaccine with EuBiologics
    • Euvichol® WHO-prequalified in 2015 and Euvichol-Plus® WHO-prequalified in 2017: procured by WHO and UNICEF to control epidemic and endemic cholera
  • Typhoid conjugate vaccine: partnering with SK bioscience to develop new typhoid vaccine
  • MERS DNA-based vaccine: partnered with GeneOne to develop their MERS vaccine, first to test in humans

 

Capacity-Building in Korea

  • IVI branch laboratory in Andong, Gyeongbuk Province
  • Post-doctoral training for Korean scientists and GHSA trainees
  • Masters in Vaccinology with Incheon National University

 

Global Health Collaboration

  • Increased capacity of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s Academy of Medical Sciences to conduct surveillance in diarrheal disease and acute encephalitis syndrome
  • In close collaboration with multiple partners and funders (KOICA, MOFA, KIA, LG), conducted a massive oral cholera vaccination programs in Ethiopia (2015), Malawi (2015), and Mozambique (2018)
  • Preventive cholera vaccination campaign in Nepal with support from Rotary Korea, Kim & Chang, Export-Import Bank of Korea and other Korean supporters in 2016 and 2017