I would like to offer my sincere congratulations to the World Korean Medical Organization on its publishing of the first issue of the World Korean Medical Journal.

 

My heartfelt thanks and appreciation go to President Chul-Soo Hyun and the other WKMO officials for their dedicated hard work in promoting exchanges among Korean doctors, nurturing the next generation of talent, and globalizing Korean healthcare.

 

Korean people’s characteristic diligence, along with our traditional virtue of mutual help in challenging times, served as a strong basis for our overseas Korean compatriots’ remarkable success.

 

While more than 7.2 million various professional Korean compatriots are actively supporting their local communities of more than 150 countries around the world, and there are about 35,000 overseas Korean doctors.

 

Indeed, these overseas Korean compatriots made great contributions to Korea’s emergence from the ruins of war to rise as one of the top 10 global economic powerhouses and to grow as a developed model democratic nation.

 

Our overseas Korean compatriots are still contributing to their native country in many ways. Overseas Korean doctors working around the world, in particular, are lending enormous support to the advancement and globalization of Korean healthcare with their deep love of their home country and a strong sense of unity. From this point forward, we should join forces to achieve greater development of the Republic of Korea while contributing to the world’s co-prosperity, remembering that the world’s compassionate helping hands were extended to us in the past.

 

Above all, I would like to ask for WKMO members’ active participation in helping our North Korean compatriots who are struggling to get by amid poverty and illness. After all, bringing together the South and the North is the greatest mission for all Koreans around the globe.

 

As a neurosurgeon-turned-politician, I will always keep in mind my original resolution of “treating our sick and ailing society” and do my best to transform the Republic of Korea into a truly ‘Healthy Society’.

 

Once again, I extend my congratulations on the meaningful publication of WKMJ’s first issue.

 

Thank you,

 

Ui-Hwa Chung, MD, PhD

Member

19th National Assembly of the Republic of Korea