Lee Yoon-gu, president of Inje University, was appointed Friday as the new president of the South Korean National Red Cross (KNRC).

He will replace Suh Young-hoon, who is leaving the agency after completing his three-year term.

A spokesman for the KNRC said the new president will officially take office in early January after being approved by President Roh Moo-hyun, who serves as the honorary president of the KNRC.

Lee, who studied at Britain's University of Manchester, served as a representative of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to Egypt and has also worked for other international organizations and Korean civic groups.

The 74-year-old Lee assumed the top post at Inje University in 2000 after spending much of his career in the social welfare field.