Honored for Pioneering Achievements in Cardiovascular Medicine, Including the World’s First Left Main Coronary Artery Stenting and Six Publications in the New England Journal of Medicine

▲ Endowed-Chair Professor Seung-Jung Park of Asan Meical Center was recently elected as a member of the National Academy of Sciences, Republic of Korea.

The photo shows Jung Bock Lee, President of the National Academy of Sciences, Republic of Korea; Endowed-Chair Professor Seung-Jung Park; and Sung Hyun Park, Vice President of the National Academy of Sciences, Republic of Korea (from left), posing for a commemorative photograph during the membership certificate presentation ceremony held on Thursday, July 16.

Endowed-Chair Professor Seung-Jung Park of the Division of Cardiology at Asan Medical Center has recently been elected as a member of the National Academy of Sciences, Republic of Korea, one of the highest academic honors bestowed upon scholars in the country. The membership certificate presentation ceremony was held on Thursday, July 16, at the conference hall of the National Academy of Sciences in Seocho gu, Seoul.

The National Academy of Sciences, Republic of Korea, is the nation's leading academic institution that honors distinguished scholars for their outstanding contributions to academic advancement and supports their continued research activities at the national level. Members are elected through a rigorous selection process that includes recommendations from academic societies, review by the Membership Screening Committee, and deliberation by the relevant division, and final approval by the General Assembly.

Endowed-Chair Professor Seung-Jung Park was elected to Division IV of the Natural Sciences Section, which comprises physician scientists who have made distinguished contributions to the fields of medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, and pharmacy. Membership in the National Academy of Sciences is a lifetime honor.

A pioneer in stent based treatment for severe cardiovascular diseases, Endowed-Chair Professor Seung-Jung Park has been recognized for his outstanding contributions to advancing the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases, which have been increasing rapidly with population aging. He performed Korea's first balloon mitral valvuloplasty in 1989 and the nation's first coronary artery stenting procedure in 1991, subsequently elevating these interventions to a world leading level.

In 1997, Endowed-Chair Professor Seung-Jung Park performed the world's first stent implantation in a patient with left main coronary artery stenosis, a narrowing of the left main coronary artery, the most critical vessel supplying blood to the heart that branches into three major coronary arteries. By demonstrating that the procedure was both safe and effective compared with conventional surgery, he played a pivotal role in establishing left main coronary artery stenting as an international standard treatment.

In 2003, he also successfully conducted the world's first clinical trial of drug eluting stents, establishing himself as a global pioneer in the field. Building on these achievements, he demonstrated that percutaneous coronary intervention using drug-eluting stents yields both short and long-term outcomes comparable to those of cardiac surgery.

Endowed-Chair Professor Seung-Jung Park has also achieved remarkable accomplishments in research in addition to his clinical practice and interventional procedures. Since becoming the first Korean physician to publish a paper in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) in April 2003, he has gone on to publish a total of six papers in the prestigious journal, widely regarded as one of the world's leading medical journals. In addition, he has conducted extensive research in the field of stent based coronary interventions, authoring more than 800 papers published in domestic and international SCI indexed journals.

Endowed-Chair Professor Seung-Jung Park of the Division of Cardiology at Asan Medical Center said, “It is a tremendous honor to be elected as a member of the National Academy of Sciences, Republic of Korea. I consider it a great privilege that our research efforts have received global recognition. However, all of these achievements were made possible by my colleagues, trainees, and the patients who placed their trust in us.”

He added, “Just as I have devoted the past four decades to providing better treatment and improving the quality of life for patients with cardiovascular disease, I will continue my research efforts to advance cardiovascular care around the world.”