Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) Professor Kim Jeong-ki of the College of Dentistry, Department of Dentistry, has assumed office as the 33rd President of the Korean Association of Orthodontists. His term is two years, through March 31, 2026, and during the same period he will concurrently serve as president of the Barun I-Bong Association.

The Korean Association of Orthodontists was founded on May 28, 1959, as the first organization in the dental field. It currently has some 3,300 members and six chapters under the association. It was the first dental society in Korea to have its journal indexed in the Science Citation Index (SCI), and it also publishes a clinical journal indexed by the Korea Research Foundation.

Professor Kim Jeong-ki said, 'I feel a heavy sense of responsibility in assuming the new presidency of the Association at a time of rapid change both domestically and internationally,' and added, 'I will do my best to further elevate the standing of the Association based on the experience I have accumulated to date.'

At the same time,  Professor Kim listed the main initiatives during his two-year term as ▲Strengthening the status of the Korean Association of Orthodontists' journal, ▲Improving the practice environment for private-practice members, ▲Enhancing member rights through strengthened promotion of the Association, ▲Reinforcing ethical standards as a representative professional body, ▲Increasing membership in the Barun I-Bong Association.

Meanwhile, the Barun I-Bong Association began operating in 2003 as an affiliate of the Korean Association of Orthodontists and was authorized as a corporation by the Ministry of Health and Welfare in 2012. The 'Adolescent Orthodontic Support Project' is the association's flagship program. It began in 2003 with 23 beneficiaries and has restored bright smiles to a total of 1,757 adolescents to date.

Professor Kim said, 'I hope that activities of the Barun I-Bong Association will become more active through greater participation by Association members,' and urged Association members to participate.