Professor Lee Guk-jong, Leading Authority in Trauma Surgery, Appointed Director of Armed Forces Daejeon Hospital

Ministry of National Defense Promotes to Honorary Colonel
Director Lee Urges Greater Use of Military Helicopters for Medical Services

On the 27th, Shin Won-sik, Minister of National Defense, appointed Professor Lee Guk-jong of Ajou University Hospital, regarded as the top authority in the field of trauma surgery in Korea, as the director of the Armed Forces Daejeon Hospital. He was also promoted from honorary Navy Lieutenant Commander to honorary Navy Commander.

On the 27th, Director Lee met with reporters covering the Ministry of National Defense and said, “Considering that the captain of a Navy fast patrol boat is a major, the promotion to commander is a burden, but I understand it was made appropriate for the position of director, and I will do my best to carry out my duties.” Regarding the mission of the Daejeon Hospital director, which lacks facilities to treat severe trauma patients, he added, “If I had intended to pursue a single path as a trauma specialist, I would not have applied for the director position,” and “I will review the military medical system in the central and southern regions.”

He emphasized the utilization of military helicopters. Director Lee stated, “Military helicopters need to increase the number of medical-related dispatches rather than operational ones,” and stressed, “We should actively use them for medical support by calculating the flight hours per helicopter.”

Director Lee gained public attention by flying all the way to Oman in 2011 to save Captain Seok Hae-gyun, the ‘Hero of Aden Bay,’ highlighting the importance of trauma surgery. In November 2017, he directly operated on and revived a North Korean soldier who was shot and critically injured while crossing over to our side through the Joint Security Area (JSA) at Panmunjom. His efforts served as a catalyst for the introduction of the ‘Doctor Helicopter,’ an emergency medical helicopter dedicated to Gyeonggi Province, and the revision of the ‘Emergency Medical Services Act’ to establish regional trauma centers nationwide, greatly contributing to increasing the survival rate of trauma patients.

Since being appointed honorary Navy Captain in July 2015, Director Lee was promoted to honorary Navy Major in April 2017 and to honorary Navy Lieutenant Commander in December 2018. Since August last year, he has been serving as a medical advisor to the Ministry of National Defense, participating in military medical training and providing advice. Director Lee will hold his inauguration ceremony at the Armed Forces Daejeon Hospital on the 28th and begin his duties. The Armed Forces Daejeon Hospital, under the Armed Forces Medical Command, has about 460 beds.