[Development and Planning of Korea's Comprehensive Inter-Ministerial Exercise System for Emerging Infectious Disease Response].

Objectives: The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has highlighted the importance of a swift and coordinated whole-of-government response system in the face of emerging infectious disease (EID) crises. The purpose of this study was to present the background and rationale for the development of Republic of Korea's comprehensive inter-ministerial training system to ensure future pandemic preparedness, as well as outline the structure of the planned training framework. Methods: The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency established a training system based on inter-ministerial tabletop exercises to clarify ministerial roles and assess the effectiveness of existing crisis response manuals. This study describes the development process of the training system, including the formulation of scenarios, manual revisions, and the selection of participating ministries, based on an analysis of inter-agency response capacities for EIDs. Results: Based on response capacity analysis, the training system was structured around five domains and 15 specific elements, emphasizing cross-ministerial participation and collaboration. The training outcomes were intended to inform policy improvements and serve as a basis for updating response manuals. Conclusions: The inter-ministerial training system is scheduled for initial implementation in 2025 and is expected to serve as a foundation for enhancing national-level preparedness and coordinated response capabilities during future EID outbreaks.