Dear respectful members of the Korean Stroke Society (KSS),

Let me first extend my sincere support and consolation to the KSS members, who have struggled to overcome challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic for over two years. Despite such challenges, KSS members and my predecessors including the former members of the KSS Board of Directors have made great contributions to the constant and constructive development of our society. So, my special appreciation goes to KSS members and the former directors for their ardent support and dedication.

Amid an unprecedented spike in COVID-19 cases fueled by the highly infectious Omicron variant, experts are now predicting the number of COVID-19 patients will soon stagnate after reaching its peak in the immediate future, based on foreign cases like the U.S. Though we are all exhausted by the seemingly never-ending pandemic, I do hope that the pandemic be soon over, so that the clinical activities of the KSS members become normalized in the foreseeable future.

For the past 25 years since the establishment of our society in 1998, KSS members have made tremendous efforts for enhancing clinical research, translational research, and education and training, while pursuing both quantitative and qualitative improvement of stroke treatment. The current achievements of KSS would not have been possible without our members’ strong commitment and dedication.

In fact, cerebrovascular diseases including stroke are the fourth most common cause of death in Korea. The post-stroke disorders including neurological disorders and cognitive impairment require long-term treatment, which constantly raises the socioeconomic burden for their treatment. Therefore, all-out efforts need to be made for promoting the primary and secondary prevention of cerebrovascular diseases as a strategy to promote healthy lifespan. This again highlights the importance of the social responsibility of KSS and its role as an expert group in addressing this time-critical challenge.

Now, our society is witnessing the arrival of the new era often characterized with a host of newly emerging keywords such as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, AI, big data, digital healthcare, and bio startup. Against such backdrop, KSS has played a leading role in developing and advancing the prognosis of stoke patients at global front. In this journey, significant contributions have been made by KSS members. So, it is my ardent wish that KSS continue to lead the global research and scholarly activities that help overcome stroke. Indeed, I am fully committed to making KSS one of the most prestigious academic societies in the world, so that KSS members would feel proud of our achievements.

KSS has recently renovated its website for facilitating constant and effective communication among its members, turning it into a user-friendly platform for open communication. The website renovation was carried out with a focus on providing stable and convenient user experience and services. For this purpose, we have strengthened the network functions by acquiring a server exclusively used for KSS. We have also improved the mobile convenience of our website and established an integrated search and print-out system. Therefore, I now cordially ask for our members’ active participation in our programs and their kind support and cooperation.

Lastly, I wish all the best for KSS members and their families. Thank you.

March 2022 Hee-Joon Bae President
Korean Stroke Society