I am Kyung-Suk Suh, the new chairman of the Korean Society of Gastroenterology.

First launched as the Korean Society of Gastroenteric Disease in 1961, the Korean Society of Gastroenterology, with 60 years of history, has evolved into one of the renowned societies in Korea. As the gastroenterology field continues to develop, the Society partners actively with related societies for mutual growth. As a result, the future of gastroenterology in Korea is expected to be bright.

However, the medical landscape is rapidly changing, and the realities faced in the field of medicine are quite dim. The prolonged COVID-19 crisis adds another variable to our reality, reminding us that the medical field needs to change fundamentally. This cannot be overcome by individual members alone. It would require the Society to work collectively on how we could advance the industry by pooling ideas and exploring solutions.

As the parent society of other gastroenterology societies in Korea, our role is ever more critical, and our members' interests and participation are crucial.

The Korean Society of Gastroenterology will strive to advance not only gastroenterology but also the medical field.

We ask for your active participation and unwavering support.

Thank you

Kyung-Suk Suh
Chairman of Korean Society of Gastroenterology

The Korean Society of Gastroenterology, with proud history and tradition, is entering a new era beyond its 60th anniversary. The Korean Society of Gastroenterology maintains its status as the parent society of all gastroenterology-related societies in Korea, thanks to many respected elders and members and their devoted efforts and robust participation.

The Society has been faithfully performing its role as a gastroenterology research and education center. However, the external social environment has evolved significantly over the last 60 years. The recent 4th Revolution wave and COVID 19 have accelerated the changes. As a result, there was a need to renew the role expected of the medical field and academic societies.

It is a great honor for me to serve as the president of the Korean Society of Gastroenterology with a long history and tradition at such a critical juncture. At the same time, I feel immense responsibility. I may be lacking in many ways, but I will strive with passion as a servant leader for the next two years to take the Society to the next level, upholding the tradition established by our elders and seniors. To achieve this, we would like to promote the following activities for the next two years.

First, we will reposition our role as the parent association in gastroenterology. We will follow the footsteps achieved by the past presidents and chairman and establish a partnership of harmony and consultation among gastroenterology associations. In particular, we will play a more significant role as a platform and become a society suited for harmony, not conflict.

Second, we will further solidify internationalization to become a society that is ready to embrace globalization. We will further advance KDDW, which is jointly held by our Society and other gastroenterology-related societies, and strengthen the East Asian network. We will start exchanges with Western and Southeast Asian societies as well. We will follow the tradition of SIDDS, which has been operating for more than 30 years, and develop and implement plans to advance the tradition further.

Third, we will further solidify our role as a multidisciplinary society. Despite the remarkable achievements in gastroenterology, our Society is losing its status as a multidisciplinary group. To overcome this challenge, we will expand our memberships from surgery, radiology, pathology, pediatrics, and basic medicine.

Fourth, we will strengthen policy functions for members and communication with members. We will do our best to improve the rights and interests of our members in the rapidly changing health insurance system and medical environment. We will protect members' rights and interests by establishing an effective system to respond to legal issues related to medicine, a problem that has recently surfaced. In addition, we will develop and implement measures to strengthen ties and mutual development of primary care doctors, medical practitioners working at small and medium-size hospitals, and local branches of the Society. To this end, we will form a branch development committee to implement the plans.

Fifth, we will become a society that promotes the public interest. We will recommend evidence-based medical guidelines and strengthen public awareness and education related to gastroenterology. We will become a society that stands with the people.

Sixth, we will strengthen research planning. We will support gastroenterology research projects by actively participating in planning and implementing research fit for the 4th Revolution and proactively exchanging opinions with national research projects.

Lastly, we will develop an internal system to support the above advancement plan and strive to expand our finances. We will strive to become a society suitable for the new era, as we mark and leave behind our 60th anniversary by boldly improving old practices or any irrational parts of the system. In addition, we will organize a project-oriented task force to implement the development plan of our Society without any setbacks.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to our chairman, president, and other directors who have led the Society with strong leadership over the past two years. I'd like to thank all the members who are dedicated to our continuous development. We ask for your sustained interest and active participation in the future.

We would like to thank you once again for allowing us to dedicate ourselves to keeping our Society moving forward beyond 60 years. We wish our members good health and happiness.

Thank you

Jae-kyu Kim
President of Korean Society of Gastroenterology