Who is Kim Jong-yang?

Interpol has selected a South Korean as its new president, edging out a controversial Russian candidate.

Kim Jong-yang, who had been serving as acting president, was elected for a two-year term at the international police body’s annual congress in Dubai, Al Jazeera reports.

The result came despite “Moscow’s efforts to reserve the position” for Alexander Prokopchuk, a former KGB service member who was strongly opposed by the US, the UK and other European Union nations.

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The Russian was favourite to take over as president from China’s Meng Hongwei, who resigned after being detained in his home country in September on corruption charges, The Independent adds.

Opposing Prokopchuk’s candidacy, UK Foreign Office minister Harriett Baldwin yesterday told MPs in the Commons that “we always seek to endorse candidates who have a history of observing standards of international behaviour”.

In the event, Kim was chosen for the role at Interpol’s general assembly, which means he secured at least two-thirds of the votes. He will serve a two-year term as head of Interpol, completing the term that Meng began.

The South Korean is a police official in South Korea, and formerly served as chief of his country’s Gyeonggi Provincial Police Agency, according to the KBS World Radio news site. Kim also served as a vice-president representing Asia on Interpol’s Executive Committee between 2015 and 2018.

His election as the international police authority’s new president has been well received by the British Foreign Office, with Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt tweeting his congratulations.