He left the Cancer Registry in 1971 to become State Secretary in the Ministry of Social Affairs. He represented the Labour Party, and had been a municipal councilman in Asker from 1968 to 1975.[1] Reportedly, he was appointed because the Minister of Social Affairs, Odd Højdahl, had his strengths in general administration, and was lacking in knowledge about social policy.[3] Mork was only State Secretary until 1972, as the first cabinet Bratteli fell.[4] In 1972, however, he was appointed as director of the Norwegian Directorate for Health, succeeding the legendary Karl Evang.[1] Evang himself had made a halfhearted attempt to promote Jon Bjørnsson as successor. Besides Mork, the only likely candidate was Gudmund Harlem.[5]
Norway went through many reforms during his time as health director. Among others, abortion was legalized in 1978.[6] Mork also worked on an international level in the United Nations and Council of Europe. He was a member of the executive board of the World Health Organization from 1979 to 1982, from 1980 to 1981 as deputy chair. He was also active in NAVF.[1]
He was married to librarian Anna Brit Schjøtt from 1955 to 1978, and was after that a cohabitant with Wenche Margrethe Myhre. He remained health director until his death in October 1992.[1]