Updated 13:45
Interpol has elected South Korea's Kim Jong Yang as its new president - in a surprise rejection of the Russian front-runner for the role.
Mr Kim, a vice-president of the agency, was chosen for the role at a meeting of the international policing organisation's general assembly in Dubai.
Russia's Alexander Prokopchuk - a former Russian interior ministry official - had been widely tipped to take over the role.
Kim Jong Yang, INTERPOL President: Our world is now facing unprecedented changes which present huge challenges to public security and safety. To overcome them, we need a clear vision: we need to build a bridge to the future.#INTERPOLGA pic.twitter.com/D4n7m61fy9
— INTERPOL (@INTERPOL_HQ) November 21, 2018
Mr Prokopchuk is another of Interpol's vice presidents, but a number of concerns had been raised about his candidacy for the presidency.
Russia has been accused of abusing Interpol's international arrest warrant systems to target critics of Vladimir Putin.
Senior EU official Guy Verhofstadt earlier this week argued: "Russia has consistently misused Interpol to pursue its political opponents.
"If the abuser-in-chief Prokopchuk takes charge, democratic & free countries may need to develop a parallel organisation. Worrying times for the international order."
A group of US senators, meanwhile, had warned electing Mr Prokopchuk would be like 'putting a fox in charge of the hen house'.
In comments quoted by state media, a Kremlin spokesperson said: "Of course, it is a pity that our candidate did not win.
"On the other hand, if we look at some statements from a number of countries on the eve of the election impartially... the pressure was huge, that’s obvious,
The role of Interpol presidency is an influential but largely ceremonial one, with much of the organisation's work instead handled by the group's secretary-general.
However, there has been increased attention on the contest for the presidency in the wake of the disappearance of former office holder Meng Hongwei.
Mr Meng - also a senior Chinese official - hadn't been seen for almost two weeks before China confirmed last month he was being investigated for suspected bribery and other crimes.
Interpol said that Mr Meng had resigned 'with immediate effect'.
