I am humbled, honored and privileged to assume the role of President of the Korean Association of Orthodontists (2024-2026). As you may know, KAO (Korean Association of Orthodontists) was established in 1959 to achieve academic excellency of orthodontic treatment in Korea and the growth has been propelled collectively by the individuals, past presidents and members of the Board and Executive Committee. I am deeply grateful to my past predecessors for their leadership and outstanding contributions, and I am looking forward to continuing this important work towards fulfilling the mission of KAO.

Through the dedicated commitment of our colleagues of KAO, our vision remains "Leading society with excellence in Orthodontics." I would hope that each of you will embrace this mission and become involved in your association. Support its programs; volunteer to serve on a committee; participate in initiatives that are important to you and your patients.

The Annual Scientific Congress of the KAO for 2024 and 2025 will be held at COEX in Seoul in October. The congress in 2023 was held in Jeju after a decade, which posed some difficulties for many members to attend. Over the next two years, we will ensure that the congresses are held in Seoul, allowing many members to comfortably participate, absorb abundant academic information, and gain insights into cutting-edge technologies and equipment. You can experience both academic accomplishment and abundant nature in Seoul.

There is a growing need for legal judgment and mediation regarding various issues that have arisen recently. We aim to take a firm and proactive stance against illegal medical advertisements that harm our members and strive to enhance ethical standards as a professional representative group. The Legislative Committee, Ethics Committee, Public Relations Committee, and others will collaborate organically to derive comprehensive solutions and effectively address various illegal situations.

KAO is the only academic dental association in Korea that publishes two academic journals, the Korean Journal of Orthodontics (KJO) and the Clinical Journal of the Korean Association of Orthodontists (CJKAO). We aim to significantly increase the impact factor of KJO, the first Korean dental journal indexed in SCIE, to firmly establish it as a global orthodontic journal. Additionally, we will ensure that CJKAO meets the clinical knowledge and information needs of our members.

For over a decade, our Korean Association of Orthodontists Foundation (KAOF) has given multiple benefits through KAO activities. As we continue, we highlight one of our major achievements in giving free orthodontic treatment to low-income communities and through this over 1750 teenagers have received benefits. KAOF has become an excellent model of a corporation aggregate within the entire medical community. The growth of the KAOF Volunteer Association is due to you who continue to show your love and dedication throughout society.

As the KAO President, I should emphasize that I enthusiastically look forward to meeting and interacting with you on every occasion of KAO organized meetings and courses. Ultimately, your contributions, suggestions, and feedbacks are of utmost importance for the advancement of the KAO to further higher levels.