In the Republic of Korea, radiotherapy began with the radium treatment of uterine cancer at Keijō Imperial University Hospital, Railway Hospital, Busan City Hospital, etc in the 1930s. The radiation treatment was implemented on a rudimentary basis, as 180-220 KVP deep therapy equipments were installed at Seoul National University Hospital, Kyungpook National University Hospital, St. Mary’s Hospital, National Transportation Hospital, etc in the 1950s. In 1964, 17 deep therapy equipments were operated at 15 domestic medical institutions. In 1962, 1963, 1972 and 1979, Cs-137 therapy equipment, Co-60 teletherapy equipment, 13MeV linear accelerator and HDR intracavitary radiation therapy were installed at Hanil General Hospital, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Yonsei University Severance Hospital and Yonsei University Severance Hospital, respectively. In the early 1980s, the departments of therapeutic radiology were operated by 12 university hospitals, general hospitals, etc across the country,
but treatment facilities were insufficient in qualitative and quantitative terms and therapeutic radiology, belonging to radiology, was backward in education and training along with diagnostic radiology.
But as intensive research and investment were made to develop oncology around the world from the 1970s, South Korea also witnessed the rise in national interest in therapeutic radiology which plays a pivotal role in the research and treatment of tumors. The change in the attitude of medical field toward therapeutic radiology established the departments of therapeutic radiology at university and general hospitals and accelerated development of therapeutic radiology. This established the basic conditions for therapeutic radiology to grow into an independent field of science, while raising the necessity of founding an academic association to educate the experts of therapeutic radiology. Just in time, therapeutic radiology was listed as an independent specialized field in the Medical Act and the Training Rules for Experts amended in July 1982. To meet such medical regulations and the demands of the times, the Korean Society of Therapeutic Radiology was established at Seoul National University Hospital on October 8, 1982.
On April 30, 1983, a symposium on cervical cancer was held at Seoul National University Hospital for the first time in the Republic of Korea. Since then, regular academic conferences have been held twice in spring and autumn every year. Research activities have also been performed at four local chapters of Seoul and Gyeongin, Hoseo and Honam, Daegu and Gyeongbuk and Busan. The Journal of the Korean Society of Therapeutic Radiology, founded in October 1983, was published twice a year and expanded four times a year since 1995, contributing to academic exchange and development. In 1995, a general meeting decided to change the Society's name into the Korean Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology and Therapeutic Radiology Expert into Radiation Oncology Expert. Accordingly, the journal's name has been changed into The Journal of the Korean Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology since 1998 and the Department of Therapeutic Radiology was changed into the Department of Radiation Oncology according to the Presidential Decree on March 19, 2003.
As of May 2011, there are 78 departments of radiation oncology across the country and the Society has 356 members, including 199 regular ones. Currently, the Society has diverse research groups for organs and fields.
Led by chairman of the board since its inception, the current society organization has, the current society organization has a president, a chairman of the board, 2 vice presidents, 2 auditors and total 20 directors of future and vision, quality assurance, general affairs, scientific, editorial, specialty examination, education and training, clinical research, international collaboration, medical and health insurance affairs, informatics, medical terminology, ethics, public relations, and without portfolio.
To realize its globalization, the Society pushes ahead with publishing its journal in English alone, changing the journal's name into Radiation Oncology Journal and opening the website of the English journal and will transform its organization into a president-led system from October 2011 onwards according to the resolution at the general meeting in October 2010.
Home > About us >
History
