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Jee Young-mee, the newly-appointed head of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (Presidential Office) |
President Yoon Suk-yeol named Jee Young-mee, CEO of Institut Pasteur Korea, to lead the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the presidential office said Friday. Jee replaces incumbent chief Peck Kyong-ran, who offered to resign earlier in the day.
The newly tapped commissioner of the public health agency is a veteran of infectious diseases with more than 20 years of experience in health and research institutions.
Jee received her M.D. from Seoul National University’s College of Medicine and a Ph.D. in Virology from the University of London. She is married to Yonsei University Law School professor Lee Cheol-woo, a close friend to President Yoon.
Jee is a member of the World Health Organization’s International Health Regulation Emergency Committee on COVID-19 and the WHO Scientific Advisory Group for the Blueprint on Research and Development Preparedness for Epidemics. Jee also served as a member of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts for Immunization from 2017 until 2020.
Peck, Yoon's first disease control head, offered to resign after facing allegations of a possible conflict of interest. The opposition bloc has been urging her to step down for holding shares in several biotechnology and biologics firms, including SK Bioscience and SK Biopharmaceuticals. Peck no longer owns the shares.
