The Ministry of Health and Welfare said that Korea has been selected as a vice-chair country of the World Health Organization responsible for the Western Pacific region.

Minister of Food and Drug Safety Kim Gang-lip will serve at the WHO’s executive board for a year as one of the five vice-chairpersons.

The executive board elects a vice-chair country for each of its six regions except for one from which its chairperson hails. As the current chairperson hails from Africa, each of the other five regions – West Pacific, Southeast Asia, East Mediterranean, Americas, and Europe – has one vice-chair country.

Korea has been actively participating in the organization's operation by reviewing and proposing the WHO's budget, major business strategies, and operating directions, reflecting its stance since May 2020 when it was assigned as an executive board member, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said in a press release on Wednesday.

Minister Kim will encourage the secretariat struggling with the Covid-19 pandemic and play his role as a vice-chair by faithfully fulfilling the decisions made in the 74th World Health Assembly and call for securing sustainability on the organization's budget, it added.

The WHO Executive Board is composed of 34 member nations elected for a three-year term. At the 74th annual assembly held on May 24, Japan and Malaysia were selected as the new executive board members for the Western Pacific region, replacing Australia and China.