The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) which has been at the vanguard of the country's fight against COVID-19, has been upgraded to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).

The previous KCDC was under the Health Ministry but the new agency, launched Saturday, stands as an independent organization.

The new agency will be led by Jeong Eun-kyeong, South Korea's disease control chief who also led the KCDC.

President Moon Jae-in visited the KCDC headquarters in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province on Friday and personally presented Jeong with a certificate of appointment as head of the new agency.

With enhanced authority and independence, the new agency will establish a network to respond to all stages of an infectious disease outbreak including the installment of an around the clock comprehensive situation room as well as regional response centers. 

Its staff has also been expanded from around 900 to nearly 15-hundred.

A formal ceremony to mark the agency's launch will be held Monday.