Greetings

Dear Members of the Korean Society for Biomedical Engineering,

Greetings! I am Lee Kyu-back, and it is my honor to serve as the 31st president of our society in 2024.

It appears that the COVID-19 pandemic, which has troubled the world for the last three years, is gradually receding. 2024 marks the 45th anniversary of the founding of the Korean Society for Biomedical Engineering. Over the past four decades, thanks to the dedicated efforts and activities of our past presidents, officers, and members, our society's stature has continued to rise, both domestically and internationally. Particularly in 2023, which allowed for in-person activities, we saw record attendance at our spring and fall conferences, reflecting the ongoing development of our society. Despite several special-interest groups having spun off and become independent, our society has continued to grow, which fills me with great expectations for the future and a profound sense of responsibility as your president. I aim to lead the Korean Society for Biomedical Engineering to continue being a leader in the academic and industrial fields of biomedical engineering in 2024 by focusing on the following initiatives:

First, I will strive to bridge the gap between our society and the industry. Although our society serves primarily as a venue for academic exchange and our members are not typically the main targets of industry sales efforts, there is potential for synergistic interactions. Given the current situation of increasing labor shortages due to rapid aging, I believe that the excellent undergraduate and graduate students mentored by professors across the nation can be a valuable resource to help address these industry challenges. Thus, alongside our academic events, we plan to integrate job fairs involving all biomedical engineering students interested in employment with corporate promotions and exhibitions. This will be achieved by closely cooperating with various government agencies, associations, and unions to create engaging, deep, and systematic academic, exhibition, and recruitment events.

Second, leveraging the advantage of having professors from universities nationwide among our members, we will attempt to produce a comprehensive textbook covering various fields of biomedical engineering. While the first edition will pose challenges, as the saying goes, "well begun is half done." We aim to publish a first edition that covers all aspects of biomedical engineering during my term. Furthermore, we will develop a system that encourages other editors and authors to voluntarily participate in subsequent editions, ensuring that the textbooks published by the Korean Society for Biomedical Engineering remain up-to-date with the rapidly evolving field while remaining true to foundational knowledge.

Third, although our society has a 45-year history, we will renew our efforts to become a dynamic society that actively includes young researchers. We will listen to the voices of young researchers leading Korean biomedical engineering research and make our society more appealing and engaging than the individual specialty societies.

Dear members of the Korean Society for Biomedical Engineering, our society stands on the brink of significant opportunities. To achieve the goals I have set, the active participation, understanding, and assistance of the executive board and all members are essential. I ask for your active collaboration once again. Please do not hesitate to point out any shortcomings and actively propose ideas for the advancement of our society.

In 2024, the Year of the Blue Dragon, I wish you all success in every endeavor.

Sincerely,
Kyu Back Lee
President of the Korean Society for Biomedical Engineering