Dear Members of the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons, I would first like to express my deepest gratitude and admiration to the hard work and devotion of the predecessors and the current members, who have evolved Korea’s plastic surgery, which used to be a barren field, to a great degree and solidified its status in the international community. Today plastic surgery is faced with difficulties in and outside, and I cannot help feeling a heavy sense of responsibility as stepping into office as the 27th President. Plastic surgery is undergoing tremendous hardship outside the medicine as well as inside the medicine. To make things worse, there are so many different voices raised within the community of plastic surgeons, who have not reached harmony and agreement for long. I am sorry that we cannot present our opinions in one common voice when solid union will not suffice enough to react to the external challenges. Each member should try to listen to others’ ideas and arguments instead of trying to voice their own blindly if they are to change the current situation in which the plastic surgery community cannot focus their force as one group. The predecessors should try to understand what their successors think, and vice versa. The colleagues should try to consider what difficulties others have instead of being involved only in their own profits. I believe it is such a desirable phenomenon that there are many different research societies engaging in active researches in the plastic surgery community for the sake of our members’ growth. However, it will cast a dark cloud of concern if they expand their scope of activities on their own out of the boundaries of common sense, deeply driven by their desire, or generate results that work against the profits of the members contrary to the original intentions. What will happen if the body parts run free out of control? I urge you all to give a serious thought to the matter. I am determined to devote the next two years of my life to opening my ears to the opinions of the members so that we including the chief director and the members can reach harmony and agreement and move forward. Please do not hesitate to point out what the society is doing wrong if it is doing something wrong. At the same time, please do not spare your encouragement if you think the society is doing right. I wish for your good health. Lee Taek-jong President of Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons Dear Members of the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons, Taking the position as the 23rd Chief Director, I cannot help feeling a heavy burden on my shoulders and infinite sense of responsibility before rejoicing it as a personal honor for all the shortcomings I have. Founded in 1966, the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons has entered its middle age at 44. I would like to take this opportunity to express my utmost respect and admiration to the senior members, former presidents and chief directors, the management, and the members who have worked so hard to overcome various difficulties and challenges and put the society to the current rank. The society has grown in membership, size and academic level at a world-class rate. In recent years, however, plastic surgery has been faced with many challenges and conflicts in that it has no anatomical areas and deals with non-insurance areas. The unrealistic medical insurance fees have been an obstacle to the growth of plastic surgery, and the ongoing economic downturn has put the members into a difficult situation. I believe it is time for you to invest your wisdom, solidarity, and active participation in the society in order to overcome those difficulties. The management including myself will make every effort with a humble attitude to promote friendship among the members and development of the society and academy and listen to your every opinion. On the inside, we will work hard to produce plastic surgeons armed with a higher level of expertise and morality and to safeguard our own field from outside attacks by improving both beauty and reconstruction expertise. On the outside, we will promote the academic and technical level of the members to the international community by holding international conferences and attracting patients from other countries and thus prepare the society for a new leap. Our determinations and attitudes will bear better fruit when they are accompanied by your great interest, help, and encouragement. I hope that the society will make more harmonious and academic growth in the next two years as I try to fulfill my responsibilities and duties hard and once again ask for your participation and interest. Thank you. November, 2010 Kim Yong-bae Chief Director of Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons