Original Article from SPORTS CHOSUN (link)

On the 23rd, the autobiography of the late chairman of Ilsong Academy, Doheon Yoon Dae-won School Corporation, which contributed to the development of domestic medical care and devoted himself to the weak, was published.

Chairman Yoon Dae-won took office as the second chairman in 1989 after his father, the late founder of Ilsong Yoon Deok-sun School Corporation. For the next 35 years, he led and developed Hallym University Medical Center, Hallym University, Hallym Sacred Heart University, Hallym International Graduate University, and six welfare centers.

The title of the autobiography 'Mighty Doctor' refers to the valuable direction that all doctors should look at.

His autobiography 'Mighty Doctor', which incorporates his life from childhood to 79, included ▲ a difficult childhood in the war ▲ a time when he struggled to save his life as a surgeon ▲ a time when he established a hospital and ran a university and welfare center.

In particular, there were previously unknown stories such as the development of ▲ hepatitis, diagnosis of liver cancer, and liver transplantation when it was called ▲ Deokjeokdo. The book shows his spirit of challenge and belief in overcoming adversity and hardship.

Mark Hardy, director of the Honorary Transplant Center for Surgery at Columbia University in the U.S., who formed a medical and academic partnership and interacted with each other, said, `Chairman Yoon Dae-won contributed to the development of advanced medicine, helped underprivileged countries, and served humanity at the highest level," he said. Robert Kelly, honorary president of the New York Press Vitarian Hospital, also said, `He's the best and most inspirational person I know,' `and he led everyone to a bold vision of what they thought was impossible.'

▶In awe of life felt through the biological collection group... sublimation with passion for medicine

In the book, he recalled his junior high school days and described it as `a time when I traveled around the country as a member of the biological collection team and explored all kinds of plants.' He said "The place where I spent the most time was the small garden in front of my house. It was a great time to look into the field and watch the life growing from the soil"Anyone who watched me back then would have thought, "That's a natural farmer."," he said.

Looking at him, my aunt advised "It will be a rewarding life to put all your heart into saving and fixing people because it is a passion for giving up grass and one tree." Having dreamed of becoming a farmer with his love for nature, he transferred to a medical school with his aunt's persistent persuasion and eventually became a surgeon.

▶ Taking care of tuberculosis patients and performing emergency surgery even in poor environment

He also left a vivid story of working at Deokjeokdo Island during his second year as a resident. At that time, he claimed to be dispatched to Deokjeokdo Island, a remote island where he had to go for four hours by boat to the west of Incheon. Deokjeokdo Island has been avoided by residents due to poor medical conditions. Even in an environment lacking gauze, IV fluids, and blood for blood transfusions, he struggled to save the patient's life.

Recalling the time when he had a round of tuberculosis patients, he recalled "When I went down to the basement, there were about 20 people living with laundry as partitions on pillars placed on the bare ground. They all seemed surprised that I kept my promise on the rounds. It was that no director had ever shown his face. (Optimization) In those days, tuberculosis patients lived miserable lives without any help from the state and society," he lamented.

He also introduced an anecdote of performing surgery even in poor conditions for emergency patients. "As a resident of my second year, I have never had stomach surgery and never even stood as an assistant," he said. In addition, there was no IV fluid or blood in the hospital at the time. (Omitted) There were no surgical instruments, but some of them seemed useful, and Rosa and two more middle school students were brought in to prepare for surgery. I tried an operation that I've never done before by looking at the guidebook. He recalled the moment of surgery to save the patient.

Since then, he has successfully performed surgery one after another and has been called the "Deokjeokdo Myung".

▶ Training with all kinds of surgeries... Successful Success of Korea's First Pancreatic Transplantation

Even after returning from the dispatch of Deokjeokdo Island, Chairman Yoon constantly trained as a surgeon. In response to the time, he wrote "It was so good to work that I felt sorry to sleep." He learned various high-level surgeries, such as Whipple surgery when cancer occurs in the head of the pancreas and replacement surgery to attach the large intestine to the esophagus when the esophagus melts with lye.

Instead of settling down there, he went on an overseas training trip to the surgery class at Columbia University Hospital in the United States to learn advanced medical care. Focusing on organ transplantation, he participated in a pancreatic ductal xenotransplantation study for the treatment of diabetes. He hung on to the experiment from nine o'clock to five o'clock. I didn't even have time to go eat. I've lost 10 kilograms in three months, so you can guess how much I've overworked my body," he recalled when he was immersed in his research. In addition, he studied kidney transplantation and took care of patients, and continued to observe heart surgery, which was not possible in Korea at the time.

As such, he led the development of domestic medical care through constant training. In 1987, it was the first successful pancreatic transplant in Korea. It was a moment when a new possibility was presented for the treatment of diabetes.

He said "The most proud and fulfilling of my challenges as a doctor was the successful kidney and pancreatic transplant operations. Transplant surgery is the last treatment that can be taken in the absence of any further treatment, so it is also the end goal as a doctor that must be more careful and successful.'

▶Management who carried out human 術... Continuing free care for the vulnerable

He said "My father was always called out every night at dawn to get surgery and come back. I grew up seeing that, so of course I thought that's how the doctor lived. (Optimization) A natural proposition that a doctor should be where a patient is. He believed that living accordingly was the fate of a doctor. I took such a life for granted even when I became a doctor because I was accustomed to that habit", he recalled his life as a doctor through a book.

In fact, he performed medicine with the mission of saving the patient every moment. For him, medicine was not just a skill, but a person's 術.

Chairman Yoon, who has provided free medical treatment for the vulnerable since he was the vice president of Sungsim Jaseon Hospital, steadily implemented free medical treatment at the level of Hallym University Medical Center and Welfare Center even after becoming a manager.

He said "Free medical treatment was not just a temporary simple medication prescription, but by being properly equipped, most treatments could have been solved"Sungsim Charity Hospital is a free hospital for small people, and it has provided a string of hope for the poorest patients." When the state could not afford welfare or free medical care, it was the first private free hospital in Korea to play its role earlier. (Optimized) Free medical care was an absolute necessity and a must-do skill for someone."

It also contributed to the promotion of social welfare based on human love. The emergency disaster support system, which he invested 20 million won for residents of Nangok-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, even affected the government system. The amount invested at the time became seed money, and the 'SOS Fund Association' was established, and it became the cornerstone for the implementation of the emergency living expenses support system through the enactment of the Emergency Welfare Support Act in 2006. Recalling the time, he said "The achievements were great and the results were also very satisfactory. The SOS Emergency Disaster Support Fund, which began at the Sillim General Welfare Center, developed into a multi-billion-unit SOS Emergency Disaster Support System nationwide several years later."

▶ Despite the KRW 10 billion deficit... Go on with the burn treatment for the public interest

In addition, burn treatment for the public interest continued. Chairman Yoon Dae-won consistently invested in burn treatment, a structure that is bound to lead to a deficit, and made Hallym University Han River Sacred Heart Hospital under Hallym University Medical Center the only university hospital designated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

He said "The bold investment in burn treatment, which everyone avoids, was solely due to the mission to save the burn patients"You can't leave life unattended for any reason. Someone had to do a hell of a burn treatment. Since no one was doing it, we had no choice but to continue," he wrote.

Hallym University Han River Sacred Heart Hospital launched the Hallym Burn Foundation, a social welfare corporation, in 2008 to provide medical expenses to burn patients from vulnerable groups. In addition, since 2009, it has been carrying out a treatment support project for overseas burn patients. As a result of the project, 1,105 burn patients have been treated for free in eight countries so far, 97 have been invited locally and 57 have been invited to Korea for surgery.

▶ Educators innovating with the times... Selection of 'Glocal University'

He also presented his vision as an educator through his book. It includes a pledge to create an environment for convergent talents by breaking down barriers between majors and a plan to actively utilize AI professors in line with the era of artificial intelligence.

Based on this vision, Hallym University led the K-higher education model and achieved the feat of being selected for the Ministry of Education's 'Glocal University' project in 2023. As a result, Hallym University will receive 100 billion won from the Ministry of Education for five years.

Introducing the key strategies outlined in the Glocal University Plan, he explained "It is a world where new majors and convergence fields emerge one after another, but the current closed structure cannot respond quickly to change. Discussion and research beyond the boundaries of the department will be a catalyst for innovation, such as opening a new major and the emergence of convergence studies. (Obsessed) The next most important strategy is AI-based education reform. Hallym University plans to have AI professors take charge of 20 percent of all courses by 2032, suggesting the way Hallym University will walk.

▶ Establishment of hospitals, operation of welfare centers, and overseas academic exchanges... life as a pioneer

Born in Yonggang-gun, Pyongannam-do in 1945, the first son of the founder of Ilsong Academy, Yoon Deok-sun, a school corporation, graduated from Yongsan Middle and High School and completed a master's and doctorate in medicine at Catholic Medical University. Since then, it has contributed to the development of domestic medical care by succeeding the first kidney transplant surgery at Hallym University Medical Center and the first pancreatic transplant surgery in Korea.

After taking office as the second chairman of Ilsong Academy, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital was established in 1999 and Hallym University Dongtan Sacred Heart Hospital in 2013, and Hallym University Medical Center under the school corporation Ilsong Academy was developed into a large-scale institution with five university hospitals (Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University Gangnam Sacred Heart Hospital, and Hallym University Dongtan Sacred Heart Hospital). In addition, since the opening of the Korea Senior Health and Medical Center in 1991, it has laid the foundation for medical social welfare projects by operating Seongsim Welfare Center (currently Sinlim General Social Welfare Center), Anyang Welfare Center, Yeongdeungpo Senior Welfare Center, Naraeul General Social Welfare Center in Hwaseong City, and Dongtan Senior Welfare Center.

In addition, it declared 'Mighty Hallym' in 2003 for the global leap forward of Hallim University Medical Center and Hallim University. It was to partner with a world-leading group to increase its competitiveness. In the vision of 'Mighty Hallim', close medical academic partnerships have been established with leading overseas universities such as NYP Hospital, Columbia Medical University, Cornell Medical University, UCLA, Uppsala University in Sweden, Oulu University in Finland, Padua University in Italy, and Nagoya City University and Nagasaki University in Japan. Since then, international academic symposiums have been held regularly to share the latest medical journalism of both countries, leading the development of the medical field.

In 2020, he was awarded the first Asian gold medal 'Lynne Gold Medal' by the University of Uppsala in Sweden in recognition of his contribution to the development of medical science through international academic exchanges. The Rinne Medal was established at the University of Uppsala in Sweden to honor the world's first biologist, Khan von Rinne, who classified animals and plants, and has been awarded to people who have achieved outstanding achievements in science since 2007. Chairman Yoon was selected as the winner in recognition of his contribution to developing gene and cell therapy research on incurable diseases and cancer through academic exchanges between Uppsala University, Hallym University, and Hallym University Medical Center.

In addition, the Mugunghwa Medal of the National Order of Merit will be awarded by the government in recognition of its lifetime dedication to the development of medical care and university education in Korea and domestic and foreign community service. The Mugunghwa Medal of the National Order of Merit is the highest grade among the five grades of the Order of Merit. Earlier in 1996, his late father, Dr. Yoon Deok-sun, received the same medal. If the medal is awarded, he will be honored with a second-generation Mugunghwa.

Ilsong Academy, a school corporation, plans to donate all of its autobiography royalties to the Hallym Burn Foundation, a social welfare corporation, in accordance with the wishes of the late chairman Doheon Yoon Dae-won.

Chairman Yoon's autobiography 'Mighty Doctor' is available at online and offline bookstores and Coupang, including Kyobo Bookstore, Yes24, Interpark, Youngpoong Bookstore, and Booksribro. 

The late Chairman Doheon Yoon Dae-won, who won the first prize of the 'National Student Biological Research Presentation' based on his activities as a student at Yongsan Middle School. On the left is his late father Il Song, honorary chairman Yoon Deok-sun.