Dr. Choi Myung-Hak the First Modern Korean Anatomist

Park, Hyoung Woo; Yeo, In Sok

Abstract

Though it is known that the concept of anatomy was introduced in the age of Three Kingdoms, anatomy in modern sense meaning was introduced in late Chosun Dynasty by western missionary doctors. From that time on the lecture of anatomy was not given by anatomist until early 1910s. The first Korean anatomist of medical school graduates was Choi Myung Hak, graduated from Severance Union Medical College(SUMC) in 1926. He was born in 1898 at Ham Heung(Ham Gyung Nam Do Province), and entered SUMC in 1922 and graduated in 1926. He was in charge of anatomy for two years after graduation, and then he went to Kyoto Imperial University Medical College(KIUMC) and researched under the direction of Dr. Ogawa in the field of experimental embryology and histology. He returned to Korea in 1930 and then became a lecturer in January 1931. His Doctorial thesis was receipted by KIUMC on April 18th 1932. So he became the first Korean Doctor of anatomy. He promoted to professor in February 1933. His publications can be seen in Folia Anatomica Japonica. In 1934 he became a councillor of the Japanese Association of Anatomist. He resigned SUMC because of some kind of problem of the school. From that time on Chung, Il-Chun who was appointed as a lecturer in 1934, was in charge of department of anatomy.