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Lee Jong-wook

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For the baseball player, see Lee Jong-wook (baseball).

In this Korean name, the family name is Lee.
Lee Jong-wook
이종욱
Lee in 2005
6th Director-General of the World Health Organization
In office
21 July 2003 (2003-07-21) – 22 May 2006 (2006-05-22)
Preceded byGro Harlem Brundtland
Succeeded byAnders Nordström
Personal details
Born(1945-04-12)12 April 1945
Keijō, Keiki-dō, Korea, Empire of Japan
Died22 May 2006(2006-05-22) (aged 61)
Geneva University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland
Resting placeDaejeon National Cemetery, Daejeon, South Korea
NationalitySouth Korean
Alma materHanyang University (B.E.)
Seoul National University (MD)
University of Hawaii (MMed)
ProfessionPhysician
Korean name
Hangul
이종욱
Hanja
李鍾郁
Revised RomanizationI Jong-uk
McCune–ReischauerYi Chong-uk

Lee Jong-wook (Korean: 이종욱; 12 April 1945 – 22 May 2006) was a South Korean physician. He was the director-general of the World Health Organization for three years. Lee joined the WHO in 1983, working on a variety of projects including the Global Programme for Vaccines and Immunizations and Stop Tuberculosis. He began his term as director-general in 2004, and was the first figure from Korea to lead an international agency.

In 2004, Lee was listed as one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine.[1]

Early life

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Born on 12 April 1945 in Keijō, Keiki-dō, Korea, Empire of Japan (now Seoul, South Korea).

Lee received a Bachelors in Engineering from Hanyang University, followed by a medical degree at Seoul National University, and a Master of Medicine at the University of Hawaii in public health. He is the third son in a family of six children; he has three brothers and two sisters. Two of his brothers are professors.[citation needed]

Lee took care of leprosy patients in Anyang, South Korea when he was studying medicine. There were few medical facilities set up at the time and he worked in a volunteer capacity. He met and later married Kaburaki Reiko, a Japanese woman who visited Korea in order to volunteer in the country.[2]

WHO career

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He worked at the World Health Organization (WHO), at country, regional and headquarter levels for 23 years.[3] His work in WHO started in 1983 when he worked with leprosy in Fiji. He started his work as an advisor on leprosy, and later also treated tuberculosis and promoted the vaccination of children against preventable diseases.[4]

In 1994, Lee moved to Geneva to work at WHO headquarters as chief in prevention and vaccines. In 1995, he was nicknamed Vaccine Czar according to Scientific American.[5] Lee became official candidate for 6th director-generals of WHO.

  • 1983–2006: Staff of WHO
  • 1994–98: Director in Global Programme for Vaccines and Immunization, and Executive Secretary, Children's Vaccine Initiative
  • 1998–99: Senior Policy Adviser to 5th General, Gro Harlem Brundtland
  • 1999–2000: Special Representative of the Director-General
  • 2003–2006: Director-General of WHO[6]

He had said that global efforts to control the HIV/AIDS pandemic would be the right course that would give meaning to his tenure as director-general of the agency.[7]

The 3 by 5 policy, which was the basic idea of Lee, was largely criticized by many concerned people. International AIDS Society president Joep Lange, had a comment that the project was "totally unrealistic". Médecins sans Frontières, also expressed similar reservations toward Lee's plan.[8]

He visited 60 countries in the three years of his Generalship including Darfur, Sudan, sites of the Indian Ocean tsunami, Madagascar, Mauritius.[9] He was famed as a man of action during this time. His adventurous spirit led him to "experience more, see more, and do more," said his son Tadahiro.[10]

Death and commemoration

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He died on 22 May 2006, in intensive care unit of Geneva University Hospital, Switzerland, following emergency surgery for a blood clot in the brain (a subdural hematoma).[11] He had been preparing for UN general meetings when he fell ill at a weekend luncheon.[12]

Secretary General of United Nations at that time, Kofi Annan mentioned

The world has lost a great man today. He was a strong voice for the right of every man, woman, and child to health prevention and care, and advocated on behalf of the very poorest people.[13]

President George W. Bush of the United States said

Dr. Lee worked tirelessly to improve the health of millions of people, from combating tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS to his aggressive efforts to eradicate polio. He provided tremendous leadership to the international community as it confronted the challenges of the 21st century, including the threat of an influenza pandemic. Dr. Lee's outreach to world leaders and entities increased awareness of potentially devastating public health dangers.[14]

He was posthumously awarded the Hibiscus Cordon (Grand Cross) of the Order of Civil Merit by the South Korean government. He was survived by Reiko Kaburaki Lee; the couple has one son, Tadahiro Lee.[15] Reiko continues to volunteer in Peru helping poor women and children.[16]

Memorial award

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The South Korean government officially announced the establishment of the a Memorial Prize in Lee's memory. After his death, You Si min, the Minister of Health and Welfare of the Republic of Korea, officially revealed the plans concerning the new awards and urged other nations and persons concerned to participate at a meeting of WHO in 2007.[17] Mr. Lee Sung-joo, who is permanent representative of the Republic of Korea, spoke of the award in Dr. Lee's memory to motivate and inspire young leaders aspiring to be the next Dr. Lee Jong-wook.[18]

Starting in 2009, the awards would be given for mainly the fields "young leadership" and "contributor of health management" (especially for epidemics) at the annual assembly of WHO, which takes place in May each year.[19]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "TIME Magazine: TIME 100: Jong-Wook Lee". Archived from the original on 16 May 2007.
  2. ^ Emperor of Vaccines Busan Ilbo (KOR) 24 May 2006 http://www.busanilbo.com/news2000/html/2006/0524/040020060524.103011[permanent dead link‍]
  3. ^ In Memoriam Lee Jong-wook 24 May 2006 "In Memoriam: Lee Jong-wook". Archived from the original on 14 August 2007. Retrieved 26 January 2008.
  4. ^ "Obituary: Dr Lee Jong-wook". 22 May 2006. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  5. ^ 옳다고 생각하면 행동하라 p. 200 written by Kwon Joon Wook
  6. ^ "Dr Lee Jong-Wook". The Independent. 23 May 2006. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  7. ^ "WHO chief dies after blood clot". 22 May 2006. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  8. ^ "The Times & The Sunday Times". www.thetimes.co.uk. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  9. ^ "Dr Lee Jong-Wook". The Independent. 23 May 2006. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  10. ^ Official page of WHO ihttp://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/notes/2006/np12/en/index.html
  11. ^ Altman, Lawrence K. (22 May 2006). "W.H.O. Chief Undergoes Emergency Brain Surgery". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  12. ^ WHO chief Lee Jong-Wook dies suddenly Turkishpress.com 22 May 2006 (AFP) http://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=124783
  13. ^ Dr. Lee Jong Wook – WHO chief, enabled AIDS care for the poor SFGate of San Francisco http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/05/23/BAGRJJ0GH11.DTL&type=health
  14. ^ Official page of White House https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2006/05/20060522-2.html
  15. ^ "Lee Jong-Wook". www.nndb.com.
  16. ^ Mr.Lee's dowager, Reiko 故 이종욱 전 WHO총장 미망인 레이코 여사 13 November 2006 http://news.mk.co.kr/newsRead.php?no=483129&year=2006
  17. ^ You si min, going to organize awards memorizing Dr. Lee 유시민 복지 "고 이종욱 총장 기념상 만들겠다" 16 May 2007 http://mbn.mk.co.kr/news/newsRead.php?vodCode=211296&category=mbn00008
  18. ^ Tribute to Dr Lee Jong-wook "WHO | Tribute to Dr LEE Jong-wook". Archived from the original on 15 January 2008. Retrieved 27 January 2008.
  19. ^ Arirang TV New Award to Honor Late WHO Chief Lee Jongwook 14 May 2007 http://www.arirangtv.com/News/News_View.asp?code=Ne6&nseq=71148
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Positions in intergovernmental organisations
Preceded by Director-General of the World Health Organization
2004–2006 		Succeeded by
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