20th Anniversary of Dr. Jong-wook Lee’s Passing: Six Nations Hold Joint Memorial at WHO

Minister Jeong Eun-kyeong Announces Reopening of "Dr. J.W. Lee Strategic Situation Room" in Geneva, Switzerland

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced that a memorial ceremony marking the 20th anniversary of the passing of the late Dr. Jong-wook Lee, the first Korean to head an international organization and the sixth Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), was held at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, on the afternoon of May 20 (local time).

A photo of Jong-wook Lee, former Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), during his lifetime. Korea International Health and Medical Foundation

This memorial ceremony was organized by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Foundation for International Healthcare (KOFIH), and co-hosted by the ministries of health from six countries: Korea, China, Ethiopia, Laos, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania. The official title, "Honoring the Legacy of Dr. Jong-wook Lee: 20 Years of Advancing Global Health Equity," reflects a renewed focus on the value of global health equity, to which Dr. Lee dedicated his life, as a core agenda in 21st-century health diplomacy.

The ceremony was attended by Minister of Health and Welfare Jeong Eun-kyeong, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO, Assemblyman Jang Jongtae of the Democratic Party of Korea, Assemblywoman Han Jia of the People Power Party, ministers of health from the co-hosting countries, representatives of global health organizations such as the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, as well as Dr. Lee's wife, Mrs. Reiko.

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok delivered a eulogy, emphasizing that "ensuring that the most innovative technologies reach the most marginalized is the way to realize the health equity championed by Dr. Jong-wook Lee in the era of artificial intelligence (AI)."

With support from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the newly refurbished 'Dr. J.W. Lee Strategic Situation Room' was also reopened. This facility is a modernization of the 'WHO Strategic Health Operations Centre (JW LEE SHOC)' established by Dr. Jong-wook Lee, and it continues to contribute to the enhancement of WHO’s infectious disease surveillance and response capabilities.

The late Dr. Jong-wook Lee became the first Korean to lead an international organization in 2003. He devoted approximately 23 years to the WHO, working on the eradication of tuberculosis and the suppression of poliomyelitis until his sudden passing in May 2006, just before the World Health Assembly. During his tenure as Director-General, he led the adoption of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC)—the first global treaty in the health sector—and revised the International Health Regulations (IHR) in 2005, laying institutional foundations for pandemic response and leaving a lasting legacy.

To carry forward Dr. Lee’s legacy of "global health equity," the Ministry of Health and Welfare, together with the Korea Foundation for International Healthcare, launched the Dr. Jong-wook Lee Fellowship Program in 2007. To date, the program has trained more than 1,800 health professionals from 36 countries. In addition, the WHO Dr. Lee Jong-wook Memorial Prize for Public Health was established in 2009, with the 18th recipient being awarded this year, further contributing to the development of global health professionals through various commemorative projects.

Minister Jeong stated, "The late Director-General Jong-wook Lee was a symbolic figure during Korea’s transformation in the health sector from an aid recipient to a donor country. His legacy marks the starting point of Korea’s global health diplomacy. On the 20th anniversary of his passing, Korea will redouble its efforts, together with the international community, to achieve the health equity that Dr. Lee dedicated his life to realizing."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.