This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Korean Society for Reproductive Medicine, which was established in 1972. It has already been half a century since we took our first steps toward the development of reproductive medicine in Korea. If you compare the history of our society to a person’s life, we have passed through our adolescent years and are entering the prime of life, when we have the opportunity to take on the most important roles in our life. The growth and development of the Korean Society for Reproductive Medicine are the fruit borne by the passion of approximately 3,500 society members, steady research, and the efforts made by the preceding presidents and executives. We express our sincere gratitude for our members’ hard work.

The Korean Society for Reproductive Medicine began with 17 researchers who participated in the Seventh International Fertility Society held in Japan in 1971. These researchers returned to Korea deeply impressed by global trends in reproductive medicine. Feeling the necessity for more organized and systematical clinical and basic research, they decided to form the Korean Society for Fertility (tentative name) to establish a further specialization within the field of obstetrics and gynecology and urology, with a particular focus on reproduction. On July 19, 1972, a general meeting of promoters was held at Seoul Mise En Grille with Professor Geon-Yeong Na of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Seoul National University as chairperson, and the inaugural meeting of the Korean Society for Fertility and Sterility was announced in the Seoul Shinmun on July 24, 1972.

To play a central role in promoting the development of both basic and clinical academic research and the medical technology for infertility, we have been issuing an official academic journal annually since 1974. After the first academic conference was held on January 31, 1974, an issue of the journal based on the articles presented at the conference was discussed, and the Korean Journal of Fertility and Sterility volume 1 issue 1 (the first issue) was published in December 1974. The journal was then published under the name Korean Journal of Reproductive Medicine from 2007 to 2010 and was re-named Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine (CERM) in 2011. CERM was listed in the Emerging Sources Citation Index in February 2019 and is making progress day by day as a sophisticated academic journal in reproductive medicine.

The Korean Society for Reproductive Medicine covers the basic and clinical aspects of a wide range of topics such as infertility, assisted reproductive technology, preservation of fertility, reproductive endocrinology, reproductive immunity, reproductive genetics, and reproductive physiology and serves as a place for the exchange of academic research and information between basic medical researchers and clinicians to expand their vision of reproductive medicine. In addition to academic exchange, the Korean Society for Reproductive Medicine is expected to play a critical role in overcoming the low birthrate, a national problem faced by Korean society, which has experienced a severe drop in births.

This year, we celebrated the remarkable achievements made by the Korean Society for Reproductive Medicine over the last half-century and are ready to start the next wonderful half-century of the society. To further develop reproductive medicine, we will serve as a place for internal exchange among academics, encourage researchers who have achieved excellent accomplishments, and establish an environment where researchers in Korea and overseas can collaborate with each other by inviting renowned researchers overseas to give presentations. Moreover, we will make every effort to improve the rights and interests of our members by actively participating in policy-making related to reproductive medicine. We request your continued interest in the activities of the Korean Society for Reproductive Medicine.

Once again, we express our deepest gratitude to the members of the Korean Society for Reproductive Medicine for their passion and effort throughout the journey to the 50th anniversary of the society.

Thank you.

January 2022

Seok Hyun Kim, 25th President of the Korean Society for Reproductive Medicine