Dr. Heejun Shin, Director of the Disaster Medicine Center at Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, presented on the topic “A Civil-Military Integrated Health Security Strategy: Beyond the Hybrid Battlefield and CBRNe Threats” at the Korean Association of Military Medicine Conference held on September 25.
Dr. Shin highlighted that modern security threats are increasingly complex, combining hybrid warfare with sophisticated CBRNe (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives) risks that blur the boundaries between military and civilian domains. He stressed that cyberattacks, drone-dispersed biochemical agents, and disinformation-driven social disruption are no longer fictional scenarios, but pressing realities.
To address these challenges, Dr. Shin proposed a Civil-Military Integrated Health Security Strategy, which includes: establishing a unified Civil-Military Health Security Integrated Response Center, conducting regular joint drills based on complex disaster scenarios, building a real-time resource and intelligence sharing platform, and strengthening hospital and community preparedness based on the 4S model (Space, Staff, Stuff, System).
Dr. Shin concluded, “An integrated civil-military health security system is not an option but a survival strategy for Korea’s sustainable security. We will continue our research and collaboration to help build a safer society.”