GENEVA, May 21: The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday officially named South Korean doctor Jong Wook Lee as the head of the UN health agency to replace Norway’s Gro Harlem Brundtland.

“Dr Jong Wook Lee, the World Health Assembly has just decided to elect you to the director-general of the World Health Organization for the coming five years,” the president of the WHO’s annual assembly said to applause.

The 58-year-old doctor is the first South Korean to lead a United Nations agency.

In accepting the post, he announced he would immediately expand and strengthen the global outbreak alert and response network to identify and respond to disease outbreaks around the world.

“SARS is the first new disease threat of the 21st century, but it will not be the last,” Lee said.

The UN health agency’s 192 members elected Lee after he was nominated in January.—AFP