Welcome to the homepage of The Korean Society for Parasitology and Tropical Medicine

The Korea Society for Parasitology and Tropical Medicine was founded in 1959 and is the only parasitology-related society in Korea. The purpose of the society is to 1) improve research and knowledge on parasites and parasitic diseases, 2) exchange knowledge with overseas academics, 3) enlighten the general society, and 4) strengthen mutual cooperation and friendship among members. The Society was founded as the Korean Society of Parasitology, but changed its name to the Korean Society of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine in 2012 in response to the influx of endemic diseases from abroad, the expansion of overseas health activities by Korean researchers, and the global epidemic of infectious diseases. As a result, the society has transformed from an early gathering of parasitologists to a society where scholars from various countries and various research areas gather to discuss and collaborate with each other. Since its inception, the society has played a major role in the fight against parasitic diseases in Korea through the hard work of its past presidents and officers and the enthusiastic participation of its members, and these efforts have led to the establishment of several programs in China, Laos, Cambodia. Tanzania, Sudan, Uzbekistan, and other developing countries to address parasitic and tropical diseases, raising our status as a model country that provides a standard model for parasitic disease management.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, 'One Health' has become a very important issue for a healthy humanity. Many of the newly emerging zoonotic infectious diseases that can infect both humans and animals are parasitic diseases, so the role of our society is crucial. In addition, as our country is shifting to a subtropical climate due to global warming, we can predict changes in the distribution of existing parasites and vector insects. The increase in the occurrence of infectious diseases transmitted by arthropods (mosquitoes, ticks, etc.), which are the most numerous among living species, due to climate change, and the influx of infectious diseases from abroad are causing many problems that cannot be solved by only taking measures against parasitic diseases and endemic diseases that occur in Korea. In response to these changes, our society has been and will continue to play a leading role in the advancement of education, research, diagnosis, and treatment to protect public health from domestic and overseas introduction of parasitic infectious diseases.

We regularly hold domestic conferences twice a year, and actively engage in exchanges with overseas researchers through the Forum-Cheju, a seminar for Korean and Japanese parasitologists, and the Asian-Pacific Congress of Parasitic Zoonoses (APCPZ), a trilateral seminar between Korea, Taiwan, and Japan. In addition, the official journal of the Society, Parasites, Hosts and Disease (PHD; founded in 1963 as The Korean Journal of Parasitology, renamed in 2023), has been listed in Index Medicus since 1990 and in Science Citation Index Extended (SCIE) since 2008, making it a prominent international journal. We look forward to the conference as a place where research results from various fields related to parasitology and tropical medicine are published in PHD and related topics are discussed at the conference.

In order for the Society to continue to contribute to the advancement of science and the improvement of human health, we need the continued development and efforts of all of our members. As president of the Society, I will do my best to help and support all members of the Society and researchers in related research fields to combat parasitic diseases, improve human health, and advance related research.

November 2023 Hyun-Hee Kong Chairman of The Korean Society for Parasitology and Tropical Medicine