Korea University Anam Hospital said on the 13th that Neurosurgery Professor Park Jeong-yul has been elected the next president of the World Medical Association (WMA). With this election, Park becomes the first person in Asia to concurrently serve as both chair and president of the World Medical Association.
Park will take office as president in Oct. 2026 and lead the World Medical Association for one year. Because the role includes one additional year before and after the term, Park is set to serve as a core leader of the World Medical Association for a total of three years.
The World Medical Association is an international organization representing physicians worldwide. Since its founding in 1947, it has provided a forum for establishing physicians' professional autonomy and medical ethics and for cooperation on global health policy discussions. Currently, about 10 million physicians in more than 118 countries are affiliated. It plays a central role in international cooperation to improve medical environments and enhance the quality of patient care.
Park said, "At a time when the global healthcare environment is changing rapidly, it is more important than anything else for countries to cooperate and seek new solutions," and added, "I will do my best to create an environment where physicians' expertise and roles are properly respected and to actively contribute to solving global health issues."
Park was elected chair of the World Medical Association in 2023 and served for two years. Since 2019, Park has served as chair of finance and planning for the World Medical Association and as a dispatched director. Park graduated from the Korea University College of Medicine and earned a master's and a doctorate from the same graduate school, and currently practices in neurosurgery at Korea University Anam Hospital, specializing in stereotactic and functional neurosurgery, spinal disorders, and geriatric diseases.