Respected researchers,

As the Co-Chair of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) for the Global Alcohol Policy Conference 2013 (GAPC 2013), I would like to thank you for your excellent contribution to health and preventive medicine. In this era when people are expected to live to a healthy 100 years of age, I would also like to extend my appreciation to those researchers and educators committed to identifying, supporting and providing the best health education, prevention programs and policy-making for the future of the international community.

I had the pleasure of meeting and interacting with some of you at the launching ceremony of the LOC for the GAPC 2013. I have high hopes for the October conference and its positive influence on Korea's health, longevity and its ability to play a more significant role in the international health community.

I look forward to your attendance at the GAPC 2013 taking place in October accompanied by your colleagues involved in the alcohol policy-making processes. I believe that it will serve as a great opportunity for Korea and other countries represented at the conference to improve their health services for the benefit of their people.

At a time when the stress is high and the strive for better health is part of our lives, each of you can make a valuable contribution to ensuring better health of Korea and that it plays more important role in the international community as a leading country in health policy-making. I wish you great strength, wisdom and inspiration to continue your leadership in growth and development of your respective countries as well as in ensuring that more people in the world live to a healthy 100 years of age.

I look forward to meeting you soon at the GAPC 2013.

Greetings! Welcome to the GAPC2013 of the Organizing Committee of the Global Alcohol Policy Conference (GAPC). Today's increasing diversity in foods is leading to a more diverse drinking culture.

In our daily surroundings, we can often see advertisements of famous foreign liquor brands. As such, the drinking culture is advancing and becoming more global, but its darker side is that this is leading to social problems.

According to the Korean National Policy Agency, 44.9% of murders and 41.5% of sexual violence occur under the influence of alcohol. Many people are suffering from profound physical and psychological damages as a result of disease and death caused by the abuse of alcohol.

The establishment of the GAPC Organizing Committee harbors great significance as it can gather solutions for various problems. It is my hope that together with your efforts, and every effort we make in the future, will contribute to the improvement of the world's drinking culture. In cooperation with the members of the organization and Organizing Committee, I will do my best for public health.

This website is a window to promote communication with the public. We will actively review any valuable opinions from the public and try to incorporate them into sound policies. We look forward to your enthusiastic interest and support. Thank you.

Welcome to Korea. I am Yong-Ik Kim, the Member of The National Assembly of Korea.

Increasing severity of problems caused by alcohol around the world promoted me tp participate in the Organizing Committee of the 2013 Global Alcohol Policy Conference (GAPC) as the Co-Chairman.

The Conference will highlight the gravity of the alcohol problem in Korea as well as the world, make it into a public issue and actively seek a solution together with related stakeholders, including international organizations, governments and private institutions. It will also be a meaningful opportunity to contribute to resolving the global alcohol issue.

With your interest and support, I am certain the Conference will be a great success. I diligently offer you my services as the Co-Chair of the Organizing Committee.

Thank you.

Healthy Greetings One and All Health Researchers, Professionals, Educators and Public!
I am pleased to invite you all to the GAPC2013

“Alcohol, Civil Society and Public Health: From Local and National Action to Global Change,”

that will be held on October 7-9, 2013 at the COEX, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
The GAPC2013 is co-hosted by the Global Alcohol Policy Alliance, Ministry of Health & Welfare, Seoul City, and Samyook University.
Many thanks, indeed, to all parties concerned and contributing.

The opening of this Homepage is a first step to construct an information super-highway for sharing ideas on alcohol policies and national/local action. Korea is notorious for its overly generous alcohol policies and practices. Therefore, if we succeed in the development of useful alcohol policies/strategies and in their implementation, all member states will be able to follow our example in their home countries. We are waiting for your expertise and experience to assist us. Through the window of this GAPC2013 Homepage, you will be able to contribute to making a more alcohol harm-free world society. Your active comments and all kinds of advice are welcomed for making this international festival on alcohol policies a success in the preservation and advancement of world health.

I sincerely hope that you will join us at GAPC2013 and provide us with your professional views and insights for the betterment of human society through active participation in developing global alcohol policies and by curbing and reducing international alcohol harms.