Jee Young-mee, CEO of Institut Pasteur Korea (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 16 (Korea Bizwire) — President Yoon Suk-yeol has nominated an infectious disease expert to head the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) following the resignation offer of its current chief, his office said Friday.
Jee Young-mee, CEO of Institut Pasteur Korea, is set to replace Peck Kyong-ran as commissioner of the public health agency, the presidential office said in a statement.
Peck reportedly tendered her resignation after allegations her shares in several bio firms posed a conflict of interest. She no longer owns the shares.
“Nominee Jee is among the global members of the WHO International Health Regulation Emergency Committee on COVID-19 and has taken part in the institution’s voting on declaring COVID-19 a public health emergency of international concern,” the presidential office said.
“She is a global expert who served as a member of the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts for Immunization,” it said.
Jee is an infectious disease expert with more than 20 years of experience at health and research facilities in and outside the country.
Her husband, Lee Chul-woo, is a law professor at Yonsei University and a longtime friend of the president.
(Yonhap)
