“Comfort women” are survivors of sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II, who endured extensive trauma including massive rape and physical torture. While previous studies have been focused on the trauma of the survivors themselves, the effects of the trauma on the offspring has never been evaluated before. In this article, we reviewed the first study on the offspring of former “comfort women” and aimed to detect the evidence of transgenerational transmission of trauma. In-depth psychiatric interviews and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Axis I Disorders were conducted with six offspring of former “comfort women.” Among the six participants, five suffered from at least one psychiatric disorder including major depressive disorder, panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, adjustment disorder, insomnia disorder, somatic symptom disorder, and alcohol use disorder. Participants showed similar shame and hyperarousal symptoms as their mothers regarding stimuli related to the “comfort woman” issue. Increased irritability, problems with aggression control, negative worldview, and low self-esteem were evident in the children of mothers with posttraumatic stress disorder. Finding evidence of transgenerational transmission of trauma in offspring of “comfort women” is important. Future studies should include more samples and adopt a more objective method.
Adjustment Disorders ; Aggression ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Child ; Depressive Disorder, Major ; Humans ; Methods ; Military Personnel ; Mothers ; Panic Disorder ; Rape ; Shame ; Slavery ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic ; Survivors ; Torture ; World War II

The Korean Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery (KTCVS) was founded in 1968 and celebrated the 50th anniversary of its founding in 2018. The launch of the KTCVS may seem somewhat recent, given that the American Association for Thoracic Surgery was founded in 1917. However, considering the circumstances of the Korean medical community after the Japanese occupation (1910–1945), World War II (1940–1945), and the Korean War (1950–1953), this apparent delay is understandable. Even before the foundation of the KTCVS, the early pioneers of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery promptly adopted medical technologies from more advanced countries such as the United States, and contributed significantly to both cardiac and thoracic surgery despite difficult circumstances. In 2012, before the 50th anniversary of the founding of the KTCVS, members shared the opinion that objective records of the activities of the early pioneers should be identified and preserved, and reacted positively towards the necessity for historians who would preserve such records. With this background, the Historical Records Preservation Committee of the KTCVS (hereinafter, referred to as ‘the Committee’) was launched. The Committee published a white paper on the history of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery in 2015 and held an exhibition of the achievements of the pioneers at the 50th anniversary of the founding of the KTCVS. The Committee also published a book entitled “The history of Korean thoracic surgery with photographs: celebrating the 50th anniversary of the society.” The Committee will keep making efforts to find and preserve materials related to activities during the early development of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery in Korea.
Anniversaries and Special Events ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Humans ; Korea ; Korean War ; Occupations ; Thoracic Surgery ; United States ; World War II

Since medical education programs in Korea and Japan seem to mutually influence each other, this review article provides a history of Japanese medical education, focusing on the way in which it influenced and was influenced by Korean medical education. In the late 19th century, the University of Tokyo established the core medical school, disseminating its scholarship and system to other medical schools. In the early 20th century, the balance between the quality and quantity of medical education became a new issue; in response, Japan developed different levels of medical school, ranging from imperial universities to medical colleges and medical vocational schools. After World War II, all of Japan's medical schools became part of the university system, which was heavily regulated by the Ministry of Education (MOE) Standard for the Establishment of Universities. In 1991, MOE deregulated the Standard; since 2000, several new systems have been established to regulate medical schools. These new approaches have included the Model Core Curriculum, 2-year mandatory postgraduate training, and a medical education accreditation system. Currently, most medical schools are nervous, as a result of tighter regulatory systems that include an accreditation system for undergraduate education and a specialty training system for postgraduate education.
Accreditation ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group* ; Curriculum ; Education ; Education, Medical* ; Fellowships and Scholarships ; Humans ; Japan ; Korea ; Schools, Medical ; World War II

“Comfort women” refers to young women and girls who were forced into sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese military during World War II. They were abducted from their homes in countries under Imperial Japanese rule, mostly from Korea, and the rest from China, Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan, Indonesia, the Netherlands, etc. “Comfort women” endured extreme trauma involving rape, sexual torture, physical abuse, starvation, threats of death, and witnessed many others being tortured and killed. This article reviews all the studies that have investigated the psychiatric or psychosocial sequelae of the survivors of the Japanese military sexual slavery. Most importantly, a recent study which conducted a psychiatric evaluation on the former “comfort women” currently alive in South Korea is introduced. The participants’ unmarried rate was relatively high and their total fertility rate was relatively low. Majority of the participants reported having no education and being the low economic status. They showed high current and lifetime prevalence of posttraumatic disorder, major depressive disorder, somatic symptom disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and alcohol use disorder. Participants showed high suicidality and majority of the participants still reported being ashamed of being former “comfort women” after all these years. This article high-lights the fact that the trauma has affected the mental health and social functioning of former “comfort women” throughout their lives, and even to the present day.
Anxiety Disorders ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group* ; Birth Rate ; China ; Depressive Disorder, Major ; Education ; Female ; Humans ; Indonesia ; Korea ; Malaysia ; Mental Health ; Military Personnel* ; Netherlands ; Panic Disorder ; Philippines ; Physical Abuse ; Prevalence ; Rape ; Single Person ; Slavery* ; Starvation ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic ; Survivors* ; Taiwan ; Torture ; World War II*

After World War II, the incidence of gastric cancer decreased rapidly in most of the developed countries; however, it remained high in countries where secondary prevention of gastric cancer is practiced without primary prevention (Helicobacter pylori eradication). In such countries, changes in gastric microbiota contribute to gastric carcinogenesis, and the composition of gastric microbiota is mainly determined by the status of H. pylori infection. In non-infected individuals with no history of H. pylori infection, gastric microbiota includes various bacteria, creating ideal microbial diversity. Because it is difficult for most bacteria to proliferate in an acidic environment in stomach, only few bacteria are present in non-infected individuals. Conversely, microbial dysbiosis with H. pylori predominance is often observed in infected individuals with unimpaired gastric secretory ability, because other bacteria cannot survive at low intragastric pH. Such microbial dysbiosis may rapidly lead to gastric carcinogenesis, resulting in diffuse-type gastric cancer. It is more frequent in young patients with unimpaired gastric secretory ability than in elderly patients with gastric atrophy and metaplasia. Lastly, bacteria producing carcinogenic N-nitrosamine compounds are often detected in individuals with past or chronic H. pylori infection, because of the loss of gastric secretory ability. Such an unideal microbial diversity observed at high intragastric pH may slowly lead to gastric carcinogenesis, in turn resulting in gastric adenoma or intestinal-type gastric cancer. To prevent gastric carcinogenesis, changes in the composition of gastric microbiota should be studied in conjunction with intragastric acidity, which depends on the status of H. pylori infection.
Adenoma ; Aged ; Atrophy ; Bacteria ; Carcinogenesis ; Developed Countries ; Dysbiosis ; Helicobacter pylori ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Incidence ; Metaplasia ; Microbiota ; Primary Prevention ; Secondary Prevention ; Stomach ; Stomach Neoplasms ; World War II

Ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgery combines the precision of ophthalmic microsurgery with plastic and reconstructive surgical principles, allowing for subspecialized care of the eyelid, orbital, and lacrimal system. A foundation in ophthalmology allows the oculoplastic surgeon's knowledge and skills to safely and successfully protect the globe while achieving good functional and aesthetic results. Oculoplasty emerged following World War II, in which a high rate of ophthalmic and oculoplastic trauma occurred. Following this, more structured and specialized studies dedicated to clinical and surgical management led to the development of a highly specific and rapidly growing sub-specialty dedicated to eyelid, lacrimal, and orbital care. Stem cell treatments in oculoplasty has been spanned a wide array of subfields, ranging from reconstruction of the eyelid to the generation of artificial lacrimal glands and oncological therapeutics. Tissue engineering represents the future of regenerative and reconstructive medicine, with significant potential applications in ophthalmic plastic surgery. Difficulty remains in disease modeling for various disorders, owing to genetic and functional variation across patients as well as the complexity of several diseases. Progressive advances in the understanding of the immunopathogenesis of diseases such as thyroid eye disease and lacrimal gland carcinoma continue to spur clinical trials utilizing targeted therapies to enhance treatment outcomes. Continued investigation of the molecular mechanisms of disease will expand potential treatments. In the future, public awareness and interest in the field of oculoplasty will further grow, and personalized and optimized treatment will become a cornerstone of modern medicine.
Eye Diseases ; Eyelids ; Graves Ophthalmopathy ; History, Modern 1601- ; Humans ; Lacrimal Apparatus ; Microsurgery ; Ophthalmology ; Orbit ; Plastics ; Stem Cells ; Surgery, Plastic ; Thyroid Gland ; Tissue Engineering ; World War II

Recently, new methods have been developed for estimating the current and recent changes in effective population sizes. Based on the methods, the effective population sizes of Korean populations were estimated using data from the Korean Association Resource (KARE) project. The overall changes in the population sizes of the total populations were similar to CHB (Han Chinese in Beijing, China) and JPT (Japanese in Tokyo, Japan) of the HapMap project. There were no differences in past changes in population sizes with a comparison between an urban area and a rural area. Age-dependent current and recent effective population sizes represent the modern history of Korean populations, including the effects of World War II, the Korean War, and urbanization. The oldest age group showed that the population growth of Koreans had already been substantial at least since the end of the 19th century.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; HapMap Project ; History, Modern 1601- ; Humans ; Korean War ; Linkage Disequilibrium ; Population Density* ; Population Growth ; Rural Population ; Urban Population ; Urbanization ; World War II

In this paper, I tried to examine the characteristic of anti-tuberculosis policy in colonial Korea and find out internal constraint of hygienic administration by Japanese government during Japanese-Colonial Period. Despite of high prevalence of tuberculosis among Japanese in Korea, the Japanese Government General of Korea had done almost nothing until 1936. Japan's hygienic administration was highly dependent upon hygienic police, and mainly with compulsory isolation and disinfection. It was inefficient in tuberculosis problem. In 1918, Japanese Government General enacted 'Ordinance of Prevention of Tuberculosis', solely based upon naive tuberculosis etiology in sputum; consisted of simple crackdown and isolation and had no effect due to the limit of anti-tuberculosis and health budget. Also the ordinance actually set limitation upon the tuberculosis facilities, only a few health care facilities could be affordable for tuberculosis patients. Since 1936, the Japanese Government General of Korea began tuberculosis prevention measures in earnest. Due to the Second Sino- Japanese War and World War II, there was urgent need to make Korean society and population as "safe, and healthy rear area". The Government organized 'Chosen Anti-tuberculosis Association' and highly pursued enlightment campaign. It was almost temporary measures of enlightenment and publicity. Also various types of health screening and tuberculosis prevalence research were introduced to Korean people. But it was not so effective to identify tuberculosis problem in Korea. Mass tuberculin test and X-ray test was introduced, but it was not well organized and scientifically designed. Besides, tuberculosis treatment facility was extremely rare because of strict isolation and high standard policy. Japanese Governemtn set numerous tuberculosis-counseling centers and mobilized public doctor for consulting tuberculosis, but the accessibility of centers was very low. Moreover, there was no source to establish facilities like sanatorium. The Japanese Government General of Korea was constantly suffered from limit of budget and a lot of Japanese in Korea had no inherent motive for installing sanatorium and anti-tuberculosis measures. As the result, the effort made by Japanese Government General of Korea to diminish tuberculosis in Korea failed during the wartime.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Budgets ; Delivery of Health Care ; Disinfection ; Humans ; Korea* ; Mass Screening ; Police ; Prevalence ; Sputum ; Tuberculin Test ; Tuberculosis ; World War II

Clinical research has expanded tremendously in the past few decades and consequently there has been growing interest in the ethical guidelines that are being followed for the protection of human subjects. This review summarizes historical scandals and social responses chronologically from World War II to the Death of Ellen Roche (2001) to emphasize the lessons we must learn from history. International ethical guidelines for studies with human subjects are also briefly described in order to understand the circumstances of clinical research. The tasks and responsibilities of the institutions and investigators in human subject research to preserve the safety and welfare of research subjects are summarized. Next, several debated ethical issues and insights are arranged as controversial topics. This brief review and summary seeks to highlight important arguments and make suggestions to institutional review boards (IRBs) to contribute to the future evolution of ethics in clinical research as we advance forward.
Ethics Committees, Research ; Humans ; Research Personnel ; Research Subjects ; World War II

Worldwide, aged population has been rising since the Second World War. Developed countries have already taken measures to confront various problems brought by the phenomenon. Korea, with its population aging faster than any other countries, is developing national plans of action as well. The Korean government developed several strategies comprising long-term care insurance policies. In 2004, it attempted to newly recognize geriatric medicine as a specialty, but the efforts were futile in the face of medical societies seeking interests. Established in 1968, the Korean Geriatric Society reached 6,000 members in 2010. It has been decided that the 20th International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics World Congress of Gerontology and Geriatrics in 2013 will be held in Seoul. Despite the circumstances, medical colleges are still failing to provide enough education on geriatric medicine, and geriatricians are not playing critical roles in caring elderly individuals in Korea. As the population is aging more rapidly, we will be facing numerous obstacles in maintaining the present society. It is imperative that the government recognize geriatric medicine as a major specialty to meet the demands of our future society. We hope that geriatricians will eventually take major actions to confront the health problems of the aged population and contribute not only to education of medical students but also to training of medical doctors in preparation for the near coming future.
Aged ; Aging ; Developed Countries ; Geriatrics ; Humans ; Insurance, Long-Term Care ; Korea ; Societies, Medical ; Students, Medical ; World War II