I wish All of You lots of health and happiness in the New Year 2009. In the meantime, we have been much afflicted with the global economic recession since last year in many fields, including medical practice one. However, we can easily predict, from our historical experiences, that our society will enjoy another hope and prosperity, if we put up with our current ordeals. Therefore, it seems that our Members must make every effort possible to choose substance before appearance and to further develop pulmonology without succumbing to such temporary difficulties.
Being inaugurated as Chief Director this year, not only I will continue to perform the basic tasks, namely the development of Korean Academy of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases and the promotion of friendships and concord among our Members, but I will help young doctors of tuberculosis and respiratory diseases to solidify medical groundwork by establishing the new special educational programs for them. Furthermore, I will revitalize cooperative studies among organizations and colleges ,thus making our Members cooperate with each other to attain one common objective. Meanwhile, there is general consensus that we have to enhance the level of our official journal Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases, keeping pace with the gradual improvement of domestic research standards, It is true that such goal will not be able to be realized within a short period, but I will continuously endeavor to make it possible for the journal to be reevaluated as an renowned international journal in the near future.
Dear Respected Members!
Taking pride in long history and tradition, our Academy has continued to develop based on the devotions and services of many retired seniors and members on the active list. Now, our regular members have exceeded 1,000 in number, and the study results announced at regular academic congresses have increased in both quantitative and qualitative terms year by year. However, we should not be satisfied with our hitherto achievements, but march toward higher goals step by step. How happy we will be, if our distinguished findings are widely cited throughout the world. On the other hand, our Academy will enhance its international prestige, as we organize the Asian-Pacific Society of Respirology (APSR) Congress for the first time this year.
I expect that You will take an active participation in and give good advice to the events held by our Academy this year. In particular, let's exert ourselves to successfully hold the forthcoming APSR Congress, an international academic conference that will be opened in our country after a long interval.
I earnestly hope that All of You will always reap good results.