Korean J Pathol.  1995 Jun;29(3):352-360.

Pathology in Korea during the Period 1945~1957

• Chi JG

Abstract

The pathology in Korea was introduced by Japanese and American missionaries in early 1920. Since that time, pathology teaching, service and research in Korea had been under strong influence of Japan. There was no indendent disciplines of Korean Pathology until the time of Liberation from Japan in 1945. Pathology activity during early period of Korean Pathology, 1945 to 1957, was reviewed in this paper, based on the literature available. The first half of this period (1945 to Korean War), was a transition period from the Pathology. Only 8 papers related to pathology were Japanese-German Pathology to Korean published during this time in Korean literature. However, papers that were orally presented at annual meetings were 12 in 1947, 23 in 1948 and 13 in 1949, respectively. The Korean Society of Pathologists was founded in 1947. And the annual meeting was started from 1947 under the auspiece of Korean Medical Association. The annual meeting could not be held in the year of 1950, when the Korean war started. Virtually no public academic activity was present during 1950 to 1952. The second half of this period(Korean war to 1957) represented reconstruction of Pathology. In fact it was a restart of the Korean Pathology in Korea. During this period less than 10 papers were published in the Korean medical journals. Oral presentation titles at the annual meetings were 6 in 1953, 18 in 1954, 14 in 1955, 15 in 1956 and 31 in 1957, respectively. In summary, the period of the first 12 years since the liberation from Japan, 1945 to 1957, appears to be the dark age of Korean Pathology. No significant academic activity could be found during this period. The slow start of Korean Pathology during the first half of this period was further delayed by the Korean War. Despite all these facts, spirit and effort of early Korean pathologists should be highly appreciated. It seems that the Korean Pathology actually restarted after the Korean war under the influence of American Pathology. It seems only after 1958 that the Korean Pathology took a firm position for promotion.

Keyword

Korea; Pathology; History