By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
Shin Young-soo, a professor at Seoul National University has been elected as World Health Organization Western Pacific's regional director, the Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs said Monday.
This is the first time for a Korean to take a major post at an international organization since the Lee Myung-bak government kicked off in February.
Shin was in a competition with Dr. Tee Ah Sian from Malaysia and Dr. Viliami Ta'u Tanghi of Tonga and won 16 votes out of 30. Ministry officials said Shin's passion toward facing problems such as avian influenza and other pandemic-possible disease as well as climate change may have attracted the votes.
The western pacific region office ranges from China, Japan and Australia to Tonga, Tuvalu, Samoa and others with a population of around 1.8 billion and is considered one of the most important regions among six WHO offices.
With his abundant experience as a WHO adviser, medical school professor and a director of health insurance reviews and assessment services, Shin is expected to take a balance between so-called developing member states and developed ones in terms of health. Observers also expect the two Koreas will forge ties in the field and enhance amicability on the peninsula.
Shin graduated from Seoul National University Medical School and served as the WHO global health leadership senior fellow and several others.
He will take office in May next year.