North Korea will serve on the executive board of the World Health Organization (WHO) until 2026 after being seated during the organization’s general assembly meetings this week.
Dr. Jong Min Pak of the North Korean Ministry of Public Health will serve on the executive board for a three-year term. Australia, Qatar, Ukraine, Switzerland, Barbados, Togo, Lesotho, Comoros and Cameroon were also elected to three-year terms.
The South Korean Foreign and Health Ministries condemned the decision, asking why the dictatorship is qualified to serve on the WHO board when it regularly ignores WHO and United Nations rules.
“It is questionable whether North Korea, which has continued to contravene [United Nations Security Council] resolutions and disregard the U.N.’s authority, meets the standards for a WHO executive board member, which should abide by international norms, pursued by the U.N., and contribute to enhancing global health,” the ministries said.
Republican Texas Rep. Chip Roy responded to the news by calling for the WHO to defunded in a tweet.
The WHO just elected NORTH KOREA to its Executive Board.
It is time for Congress to take up and pass Rep. Roy’s H.R. 343 No Taxpayer Funding for the World Health Organization#DefundTheWHO https://t.co/8RcII39C8q pic.twitter.com/sEdeFhOqQr
— Rep. Chip Roy Press Office (@RepChipRoy) May 31, 2023
The WHO is a subsidiary of the United Nations. Republicans have become increasingly critical of the organization since it colluded with the Chinese Communist Party to conceal information about COVID-19. Some, such as Texas Republican Rep. Chip Roy, have called for the United States to defund or leave the organization entirely.
