Purpose : To promote research and development of coloanal studies and promote friendship between members of the association
Established date : October 27, 1967
Number of members (as of December, 2023.12.31): total 2,448 (lifetime members 2,239, regular members 209)
1. Background of establishment
The history of coloanal disease goes back to the time of Hippocrates who was a saint of medical science. Coloanal disease is an gastrointestinal disease that occurs most frequently in Europe and America. However, the number of people suffering from coloanal disease such as colorectal cancer and inflammatory bowel disease is increasing in Korea as well due to the rising standard of living and westernizing diet of the Korean people. Furthermore, in research fields, not only hemorrhoids, perianal abscess and anal fistula, and anal fissure that are usually discovered in clinical cases, but also diseases for which the causes and effective treatments have yet to be identified are in urgent need of highly technical studies. Furthermore, with the recent anatomical development in the coloanal field, it became necessary to study possible treatments.
1) Preparation of the association
In order to establish this association in response to meet the needs of time and the recent trend of academia, the promoters and establishment preparatory committee was held at the grand hall of the Korean Medical Association on November 18, 1967. The committee was launched by the late Byeong-Ho Jin, former head professor of the surgery department of Seoul National University Medical School and the late Kwang-Shik Min, former head professor of the surgery department of Yonsei University Medical School.
The real motive behind establishing this association started when private practice doctors who concentrated on non-invasive methods using injections and cautery treatments of oriental medicine secrets planned to establish a tentatively named the Korea Hemorrhoids Association. However, in the academia, medical schools of universities had already made alliances with numerous overseas associations and groups, and it was considered that when an association was established mainly by private practice doctors, there will be problems in terms of research, educational aspects, and also international status. And thus, an association was established mainly consisting of university professors but also 8 private practice doctors. Since establishment, the expenses for managing the association mostly came from the membership fees and donation from the members of the association. There were 19 members in the preparatory committee of the association: Byeong-Ho Jin, Kwan-Shik Min, Gil-Su Park, Ja-Hoon Kim, Don-Sang Mok, Gyu-Chul Hwang, Hak-Yoon Kim, Yong-Gak Lee, Kwang-Yeon Kim, Yong-Woo Lee, Seon-Taek Jang, Do-Young Ahn, Tae-Yoon Baek, Yong-Chul Park, Bu-Heoi Park, In-Hee Lee, Jin-Bok Kim, the director of DeokJae Medical Clinic Jae-Bok Park, and the director of Lee Kwan Yoon Hospital. Then in December 8, 1967, six head permanent preparatory commissioners: Gil-Su Park, Kwang-Yeon Kim, Seon-Taek Jang, In-Hee Lee, Bu-Heoi Park, and Kwan-Yoon Lee were elected who planned and prepared everything about the association including the inaugural assembly.
2) Inaugural assembly
On April 20, 1968, 3pm, led by the surgeons, the inaugural assembly of the Korean Coloanal Disease Association was held at the grand hall of the Korean Medical Association. Byeong-Ho Jin was elected the first president of the association, with Kwang-Yeon Kim as vice president, Gil-Su Park as chief director, and 6 other selected members. The enrollment fee was 200 won, and the annual fee was 1,000 won. Numerous associations in the U.S.A, Japan, Italy, Greece, and India sent congratulatory letters and messages to the Korean Coloanal Disease Association.
The gist of the establishment purpose statement is as follows:
(1) To correct and improve the fact that the subject disease area is being disregarded due to the fact that it does not have a direct effect on human lives through academic and clinical approach
(2) To make alliances with overseas coloanal disease experts as a way of intensive research of the association
(3) To dispel concern and fear for complications and side effects caused by dependence on unscientific home remedies such as cautery treatments and abused oriental treatments and to prevent missing the opportunity of early discovery of rectal cancer
Consequently, the association aims at systemizing professional academic research and state of the art treatment methods so that surgeons can generalize operation methods and technical guidance and at enlightening the general public against negative effects of home remedies.
2. Activities
Ever since establishment, the association held annual academic symposiums as a professional research association that surpasses the formalities of surgeons who support the purpose of establishment. On October 6, 1981, the association joined the Korean Medical Association academic division association as an associate group, and on March 6, 1985, was promoted to a regular association, being launched as an independent association both in name and reality. In 1985, the association registered its association journal in the Ministry of Culture and Public Information and started to publish the Korean Coloanal Disease Association Journal four times a year. There were much ups and downs in the development of the association, but the association developed thanks to consistent and devoted efforts of numerous former presidents, chief directors, and executives and cooperation and support from all members of the association.
1) Treatment guidebook for colorectal cancer in Koreans published
The occurrence rate of colorectal cancer is increasing every year. However, as a result of conducting a research in 31 trainee hospitals in Korea on the methods of classifying colorectal cancer, it was determined difficult to gather a unified opinion, and thus in May 1988, the association organized an association for establishing a treatment guidebook colorectal cancer in Koreans.
3 assistance administrators were elected from Kwang-Yeon Kim(president), Chang-Young Lee et. al 5 surgeons, 3 pathology doctors, 1 physician, 1 preventive medicine doctor, and 1 treatment radiology doctor. And after 6 times of serious discussions, 'Treatment Guidebook for Colorectal Cancer in Koreans' was established in 1988 that is suitable to the Korean circumstances and that could be combined with the classification currently in general use through international academic exchanges, greatly contributing to treatment and research in coloanal cancer in Korea.
2) International exchange
The Korean Coloanal Disease Association made many improvements in international academic exchanges as well. For every academic symposium, the association invited members of international coloanal disease associations at home and abroad to give lectures and speeches, and domestic members attended international associations to give presentations.
In 1995, Kwang-Yeon Kim was elected chairman of the Asian Coloanal Disease Association, and the 5th Asian Coloanal Disease Association international academic symposium was held in Seoul. High level training opportunities were provided to participants from home and abroad including 528 lectures, 41 special speeches on coloanal disease studies, symposiums of 13 areas, workshops, videos and poster presentations, showing the essence of coloanal disease studies. A total of 1, 223 people from 28 countries registered including not only Asia but also USA, Australia, Egypt, and European countries such as Great Britain, Germany, France, and Russia. It was the largest successful academic symposium of a specific medical department to be held internationally, becoming a remarkable opportunity to show the world the status of the Korean Coloanal Disease Association.
3. Members and executives
1) Members
A total of 2062 people are registered as members, including 1969 lifetime members and 93 regular members. Lifetime members are those who paid ten times the annual fee in a lump sum. They are provided with lifetime membership IDs, and they can attend the academic symposiums only if they pay participation fees, and they are provided with name cards that indicate that lifetime membership status and are provided preferential treatments.
2) Presidents and executives
(1) Former chairman group
(2) Executives: 27, directors: 152 (see "list of executives")
4. Academic activities
On December 6, 1968, after 8 months since establishment, the first general assembly and academic symposium of the Korean Coloanal Disease Association was hold at the Ambassador Hotel with approximately 50 participants from home and abroad. There were 6 lectures presented, and a panel discussion was held under the title of "Hemorrhoids Treatment". Since then, the association continued development to become a fruitful and excellent association to hold its 29th academic symposium on December 7, 1996, at the Ramada Renaissance Hotel with 250 members attending. Until 1991, the academic symposium used to be held once a year, but since 1992, at the request of the members, the academic symposium was is being held twice a year, further promoting the development of the association. At the 12th academic symposium in 1979, a seal was designed that symbolizes the Korean Coloanal Disease Association, and an excerpt was edited as well. Furthermore, since the 18th academic symposium in 1985, a special lecture by the president was held to provide an opportunity for seniors to pass down their knowledge and experience to juniors.
Furthermore, in order to pass down, exchange, and discuss new knowledge and experience between domestic members, and to improve academic capabilities and promote friendship between the members, in 1991, the members agreed to organize a regular conference. On the first year, 3 conferences were held, and since 1992, conferences are held twice a year. Furthermore, in order to improve and research spirit and desire to learn of the members, and to publish high quality theses, since 1994, the Abbot Academic Awards of the Korean Coloanal Disease Association were presented with the scholarship from the Abbott Corporation. Every year, autumn academic conferences are held to award plaques and prize money to excellent theses. In 1999, the articles of corporation was modified in accordance with the modern trend, and the name of the association was modified to the Coloanal Disease Association.
<Academic Journal> Until the 17th conference in 1984, an excerpt was published only once a year. However, with the growing need for a professional academic journal to post theses, the ⌈ Korean Coloanal Disease Association Journal ⌋ was published in time for the 18th academic conference, thereby expediting the research on coloanal diseases.
This academic journal was published twice a year since 1986, three times in 1992, four times since 1993, five times since 1999, and every other month since 2002 (six times a year).
Starting from the registration with the KCI in 2006, the academic journal was registered in 2007 with the EMBASE which is an international database. In August 2010, it was converted into a English Association Journal under the name ⌈ Journal of the Korean Society of Coloproctology ⌋. And in 2010, the academic journal was registered with the SCOPUS and the Pubmed Central. And starting from the 1st edition of volume 29 in 2013, the name was modified to ⌈ Annals of Coloproctology ⌋ again to keep in pace with the globalization.
5. Future development plans
According to the recent trend in the medical field, medical departments are further segmented, and thus research meetings and conferences are being held separately by organs. Furthermore, associations are developing individually to deal with the rights and benefits and medical disputes in each segmented association separately. Therefore, in order for the Korean Coloanal Association that has a long history and experience to prepare against the changes of medical environment of excellent medical services and opening of the medical market, it is regarded necessary to consider adopting the medical specialist system. The medical specialists promoted by the Korean Coloanal Disease Association are certified specialists at the level of the Association, not at the level of the government or other social groups.
In 1996, the provisional standing committee established policies for the medical specialist system, and on July 24, launched 'Research Committee for Coloanal Disease Specialization'. At the Busan conference on September 21, a public hearing was held for the members of the Association to discuss about the medical specialist system and training system in the USA, Great Britain and Japan. Furthermore, to gather opinions of the association members, a survey was conducted asking about the medical specialist system, and the results of the survey were announced at the 1996 Autumn Academic Conference. For the appropriacy of the time for studying the system, 79% of the total members consented, and 39% chose 'Coloanal Disease Medical Specialist' and 54% chose 'Coloanal Surgeon Medical Specialist' as the most appropriate name for the medical specialist. As for the disadvantages of the medical specialist system, there were opinions that 'too much segmentation may make it not easy to look at the patient as a whole', and 'there are too many associations, associations per medical department is enough'.
Furthermore, some stated that we need more careful approach pointing out that it will have an effect of having the surgeons fall into a trap set by themselves, reduce latitude, and deteriorate the status. And some suggested prohibiting training on private practice doctors and prohibiting additional training, and stated that the medical specialist system should only be considered after improving the medical insurance system, and that what we need right now is to concentrate on activating surgeons and raising technical fee.
However, most stated that the medical specialist system will have a positive effect on not only the Coloanal Disease Association but also on the status of the Korean Surgery Association and the profit system of surgeons, and it will also be a catalyst to further segmentalize and professionalize other areas in the general surgery. Some even stated that by promoting the medical specialist system at an early stage it may be possible to save costs for overseas training and obtain vested interests of the surgeons, thereby increasing the medical insurance fees, and that especially, the Korean Surgery Association wanted to segmentalize the system overall. In 1998, qualifications for coloanal doctors were examined and certificates of examination were issued. There are plans to conduct examinations on coloanal doctors every year to seek development of the coloanal studies. It is expected that the development of coloanal studies will significantly enhance the quality of public health in the future, and in the long term perspective, provide high quality medical service to the people, and create a stable and pleasant environment for the doctors to concentrate on treating patients.
