WHO's Dr. Lee Jong-wook dies after emergency surgery

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Lee Jong-wook

Dr. Lee Jong-wook, who took over the World Health Organization as the battle against SARS was drawing to a close and then led the fight against bird flu, died Monday after undergoing emergency surgery for a blood clot in his brain, officials said. He was 61.

Lee died at 7:43 a.m. (0543GMT) Monday morning, said a WHO statement.

Anders Nordstrom of Sweden, whom Lee had named to take over in an emergency, will serve as acting director-general.

"I am shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the sudden passing of Dr. Lee,'' U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in a statement.

A WHO statement read Lee had been in hospital since he fell ill Saturday afternoon while attending an official function, after which he underwent surgery to remove the blood clot.

Lee, who took over as director-general of WHO in 2003 as the agency battled the SARS outbreak in Asia, worked for WHO for 23 years, including time served in regional posts. He was the first South Korean to head a U.N. agency. Time magazine named Lee one of the world's 100 most influential people in 2004.