보건복지부 영문홈페이지

 - The 2011 KAMA Seoul International Convention and Scientific Programs
 held from August 4 to August 7 -

□ The Ministry of Health and Welfare (Minister Chin Soo-hee) has announced that the 29th KAMA (Korean-American Medical Association) Seoul International Convention and Scientific Programs will be held in Korea, for the first time in 27 years.
 

 ㅇ The 2011 KAMA Seoul International Convention is sponsored by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the Korea Health Industry Development Institute and is co-hosted by the Korean-American Medical Association (President: Hyun Chul S.), Korean International Medical Association (President: Chung Hee-won) and Korean Medical Association (President: Kyung Man-ho). It will be held from August 4 to August 7 at the National Museum of Korea and Lotte Hotel in Seoul.

 * The Korean American Medical Association (KAMA)
   - Since its inception in 1974 as a non-profit medical organization, KAMA has become the cradle of more than 18,000 medical doctors of Korean heritage practicing in the US . Along with India, KAMA (President: Hyun Chul S.) is the only organization comprised of minority race that has voting power within the American Medical Association (AMA). 
 * Following its establishment in 1974, KAMA held annual conventions in Korea until 1983. After the members shifted from first-generation Koreans to 1.5-generation Korean-Americans, the conventions were held in the US from1984.

□ The KAMA Seoul International Convention is significant in that medical doctors and scientists of Korean heritage practicing actively on the international stage, including the US, have taken part in large numbers while highly valuing the opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions in academic sessions and the global medical trend with fellow Korean physicians.

 ㅇ The forum also served as the arena for introducing the status of medical developments achieved in the homeland to the 1.5 generation Korean-American physicians as well as the starting point for building a global network among the medical doctors of Korean heritage working throughout the world.

□ Major programs of the Convention include professional medical seminars, tours of hospitals and specialty clinics for physicians*, as well as medical forum programs for student representatives of medical schools from the US, UK, Australia and Korea.

  * The 8 hospitals slated for the tour: Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, Severance Hospital, Wooridul Spine Hospital, Samsung Medical Center, Asan Medical Center, JK Plastic Surgery Center and Yeson Voice Center

□The Ministry of Health and Welfare officials have promoted cooperation with KAMA in order to build the foundation for making inroads into the Americas. 

 ㅇ This foundation was formulated with the conclusion of a tripartite MOU among the Korea Health Industry Development Institute, KAMA and the Korean International Medical Association in April 2010.

 ㅇ In January of this year, the KAMA Secretariat moved into the New York Office of the Korea Health Industry Development Institute and jointly hosted the ceremony this March commemorating the modernization of the medical sector in Korea.

 ㅇ By achieving the feat of hosting this year’s Convention in Korea, the momentum has been built for further solidification of the cooperative network among these organizations.

 ㅇ Moreover, through cooperation with KAMA, the Ministry of Health and Welfare was able to build the most influential public relations network to publicize and promote Korea’s medical sector in the US market. Through substantial alliance in various sectors such as post-management of American patients treated in Korea, the Ministry plans to accelerate the advancement into the US market in full swing.

 ㅇ By benchmarking the alliance and cooperation with KAMA, the Ministry announced that it would push ahead with the building of global networks with other Korean communities based in foreign nations in order to efficiently introduce the excellence of Korea’s medical sector to nations around the world.

□ Korea, where the medical sector was virtually nonexistent in the 1950s and 1960s, achieved remarkable advancement in medical technology comparable to that of the nation's economic growth.

 ㅇ With the launching of the project to attract overseas patients to Korea in full swing in 2009, more than 142,000 foreign patients came to Korea to receive medical treatment in Korea over the past two years.

 ㅇ Recently, physicians from advanced nations have sojourned to Korea for training to learn Korea’s advanced medical technology. The awareness level and status of Korea’s medical sector has become dramatically elevated following the conclusion of the MOU with Middle East nations and Mongolia.

 ㅇ The KAMA International Convention, held at this opportune time, is anticipated to play a pivotal role in promoting exchanges between the Korean medical sector and Korean-American physicians in the United States, a nation leading the world in the medical field. The Convention will undoubtedly serve as the foundation for bringing about unprecedented achievements in Korea’s medical field.

 
※ Press Briefing for 2011 KAMA Seoul International Convention
  - Date and Venue: August 4, 2011, 17:00˜18:00, Briefing Room, 1st Floor, National Museum of Korea
  - Attending organizations: KAMA (President: Hyun Chul S.), Korea Health Industry Development Institute (President Ko Kyung-hwa), Korean Medical Association (President: Kyung Man-ho), Gyeonggi Province Medical Association (President: Yoon Chang-kyum)
    * Opening Reception: August 4 (Thursday) 18:30˜21:00, Open Court of the National Museum of Korea
  (Congratulatory Address: Chin Soo-hee, Minister of Health and Welfare)