[Power K Woman] "As Long as the Fetal Heart Beats, There Is No Giving Up"

"The Message of a Tiny Heartbeat"
Unwavering Faith in Life
"The Meeting of AI and Skilled Hands"
Expanding the Scope of Treatment with Advanced Technology
"Beyond the Era of Not Hiring Female Doctors"
Changes Made by a Pioneer
"Between Strictness and Warmth"
The Duality of a Leader Who Handles Life

Professor Won Hyesung of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Asan Medical Center in Seoul is being interviewed by Asia Economy at Asan Medical Center in Songpa-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yongjun

A medical challenge to save lives that have not yet been born. Professor Won Hyesung of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Seoul Asan Medical Center has pioneered the unfamiliar path of fetal therapy for over 30 years, dedicating her life to giving these tiny beings a "second chance."

It was painful to only diagnose but not treat. To overcome this limitation, Professor Won tirelessly sought solutions and forged new paths. She established the nation's first fetal therapy center, led research combining ultrasound technology and AI, and saved countless lives. Her dedication and leadership fully embody the mission and value of an obstetrician-gynecologist.

-You have said that you dreamed of becoming an obstetrician-gynecologist since middle school. Was there a special reason?

▲At the time, there were many cases in society where teenagers or unmarried women became pregnant and gave birth to illegitimate children. Some faced abortion or abandonment. Witnessing this reality, I felt a strong desire to care for mothers and children in difficult circumstances. It was an era when top students aspired to become doctors, and I naturally chose obstetrics and gynecology. Looking back, it was a pure desire to care for their hearts more than just provide medical treatment. And back then, obstetrics and gynecology was considered a major specialty. (laughs)

Professor Won Hyesung (first from the left) is performing balloon valvuloplasty on a fetus with congenital severe aortic valve stenosis. Photo by Asan Medical Center Seoul

-What led you to focus so deeply on fetal therapy?

▲During my residency and fellowship, Professor Mok Jeongeun assigned me to obstetric ultrasound. I learned from radiologists and diagnosed fetal anomalies, but there were no solutions. It was agonizing to have to tell parents, "Your baby has this disease and may not make it." I wondered if being a doctor meant delivering a death sentence. So, from my first year as a fellow, I began researching fetal therapy through papers and books.

"The Message of a Tiny Heartbeat" - Unwavering Faith in Life

-You established the first fetal therapy center in Korea in 2004. What challenges did you face at the time?

▲I started drug therapy in 1995, when I began my fellowship, but serious research began after my training at the Fetal Treatment Center at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) in 2002. After returning to Korea, I officially established the country's first fetal therapy center at Seoul Asan Medical Center in 2004. Fetal therapy itself was unfamiliar, and there were many obstacles. I asked my mentor, Professor Kim Am, "If you could just serve as director, I will handle all the work." With the full support of my mentor and colleagues, we solved each problem one by one.

The open and challenge-encouraging culture at Seoul Asan Medical Center was also a great support. The belief of Chairman Chung Ju-yung, "Nothing can be achieved unless you start," was alive throughout the hospital, making even seemingly impossible things possible. Even when there was no insurance coverage, we overcame limitations by focusing solely on saving patients' lives.

Geonwoo, who was born weighing 288g at Seoul Asan Medical Center in 2021, is shown receiving treatment on his fourth day of life. Asan Medical Center treats more than 800 high-risk newborns in the neonatal intensive care unit each year. The survival rate is the highest in the country, with a 90% survival rate for premature infants weighing less than 1500g and an 85% survival rate for those weighing less than 1000g. Photo by Seoul Asan Medical Center

-What are the results of the fetal procedures you have performed so far?

▲We have performed 690 shunt insertions, 278 radiofrequency ablations, 318 procedures for twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, and 227 intrauterine transfusions, totaling over 1,300 fetal procedures. What matters more than the numbers is the outcome. Our data is not behind Europe or the United States, even though we are 10 or 20 years ahead in some aspects, and in certain areas, our results are even better. This is the power of a single center where nurses and professors from related departments work closely together.

-You are also conducting research integrating AI and ultrasound technology. What achievements have you made?

▲Ultrasound results can vary greatly depending on the examiner, so AI technology was needed. To solve this problem, we have conducted joint research with Samsung Medison for 15 years and achieved many results. In 2023, at the World Congress on Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology (ISUOG), we showcased the latest AI-assisted fetal heart ultrasound developed in Korea through a live demonstration. With AI assistance, obstetricians are achieving higher diagnostic accuracy in fetal heart disease ultrasound. I expect this will play a major role in improving treatment outcomes in the future.

Professor Won Hyesung of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Asan Medical Center Seoul is talking about fetal 3D ultrasound in an interview with Asia Economy. Photo by Jo Yongjun

"The Meeting of AI and Skilled Hands" - Expanding the Scope of Treatment with Advanced Technology

-What difficulties have you faced as a female medical professional, and how did you overcome them?

▲In the 1990s, there were no female professors at the big five hospitals. When I approached Professor Mok, he said, "We don't hire female doctors." At that time, there were no female professors in obstetrics and gynecology at any of the big five university hospitals in Korea. The barriers were that high. Thanks to being a doctor, I had "my own patients," so I think the barriers were lower than in other fields. There was no women's on-call room in the delivery ward, so I used to take naps on a bench in the nurses' changing room. In my fourth year as a resident, I requested the creation of a women's on-call room and gradually changed the system. More than personal difficulties, I felt that improving social awareness of essential medical care was a greater challenge.

-What leadership philosophy do you emphasize to your juniors?

▲Honestly, I am a strict boss. Our work involves dealing with life, so even the smallest mistake cannot be tolerated. I always tell my juniors, "You are afraid because you are not prepared. If you are fully prepared, this is an opportunity to be praised." On the other hand, I give my full support to juniors who perform well. I am strict when it comes to work, but warm outside of it. I believe that these two aspects must go together for an organization to grow.

Professor Won Hyesung (center in the photo) is performing fetoscopic surgery to treat twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome. Photo by Asan Medical Center Seoul

"Beyond the Era of Not Hiring Female Doctors" - Changes Made by a Pioneer

-What advice would you give to juniors who are balancing work and family?

▲I am not married and do not have children, so I have little to say to juniors with families when they struggle. However, from what I have seen, when seniors and juniors endure adversity and persevere, their families, especially their children, respect and adore them immensely. The time spent enduring that process is the hardest, but in the end, families will respect those efforts. Above all, I believe that practical support from husbands is crucial.

I hear that the birth rate among our hospital staff is high. I believe that an organization where pregnancy and childbirth happen naturally is a good organization where members can trust and feel secure. In such an environment, a virtuous cycle that raises the birth rate can be created.

-What is the most memorable case among the treatments you have performed?

▲There was a mother who experienced repeated fetal deaths in the middle of pregnancy. The cause was unknown, and she became pregnant again, but fetal hydrops occurred. Based on the ultrasound findings, I suspected fetal anemia, diagnosed a specific antibody, and was able to deliver a healthy son after multiple intrauterine transfusions. That mother returned when she was pregnant with her second child. Again, multiple transfusions were needed, but she courageously decided to proceed, and I was able to deliver a beautiful daughter as if she were a gift. It is true that doctors learn from their patients. Courageous patients teach, challenge, and enable doctors to succeed.

Of course, I also remember many children saved by shunt insertion. In one case, the chances of success were low, but at the parents' earnest request, we attempted the procedure. Even during the procedure, seeing the tiny heart beating steadily, I felt that "this life wants to live." The joy of meeting a child who was born healthy is unforgettable. I realized again that as long as the fetal heartbeat continues, our hope continues as well.

Professor Won Hyesung of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Asan Medical Center in Seoul is being interviewed by Asia Economy at Asan Medical Center in Songpa-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yongjun

"Between Strictness and Warmth" - The Duality of a Leader Who Handles Life

-What are your thoughts on the current birth rate in Korea?

▲Yesterday's news reported an increase in the birth rate, but it is still less than 1%. It is in the 0.8% range. Currently, eight delivery room nurses at Seoul Asan Medical Center are pregnant or have recently given birth. If many babies are born in a good organization, that number will gradually rise. By creating a positive organizational culture and increasing the birth rate within it, I believe a virtuous cycle can be achieved.

-Is there a message you would like to convey to women of this era?

▲To be honest, I hope this "Power K Woman" event will disappear. Everyone overcomes adversity and achieves breakthroughs and success in their own fields, so why highlight only women? "Power K," and even remove the "K"?how about making it a place to recognize outstanding "individuals" regardless of gender?

Wherever you are, I hope you will confidently challenge yourself, believing in your own efforts and value. That effort will surely lead to social recognition and reward. I sincerely hope for an era where people are not distinguished simply because they are women, and are evaluated solely on pure ability and dedication.

▶About Professor Won Hyesung of Seoul Asan Medical Center

She graduated from Ewha Womans University College of Medicine and earned her master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Ulsan. After starting her medical career as an intern in 1991, she began the nation's first fetal drug therapy in 1995. After training at UCSF in the United States in 2002, she established Korea's first fetal therapy center at Seoul Asan Medical Center in 2004 and has since successfully led approximately 1,300 fetal procedures. In 2016, she succeeded in Korea's first fetal aortic valvuloplasty. During her presidency of the Korean Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology, she brought the World Congress on Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology (ISUOG) to Seoul in 2023 and hosted it successfully, raising the profile of Korean medicine globally. Through 15 years of collaboration with Samsung Medison, she developed AI-based fetal heart diagnostic technology and has published more than 150 papers in domestic and international journals. Guided by the philosophy that "diagnosis without treatment is no different from a death sentence," she is also committed to training future generations and expanding essential medical personnel.