SNUBH Prof. Lee Pyung-bok to lead World Society of Pain Clinicians

Seoul National University Bundang Hospital (SNUBH) said that Professor Lee Pyung-Bok, a leading expert in pain medicine and professor of anesthesiology and pain medicine at Seoul, has been appointed president of the World Society of Pain Clinicians (WSPC). His two-year term began on Wednesday.

Founded in 1984 in the Netherlands, WSPC is an international society dedicated to advancing pain research and treatment. It hosts annual conferences where members from around the world present the latest research and establish global standards for pain management.

Lee, who also serves as the director of the hospital’s pain center, has a distinguished career in pain medicine, having served as president of the Korean Pain Society, the Korean Spine Pain Society, and as a governing board member of WSPC.

He is recognized for reshaping pain perception from merely a symptom of diseases or injuries to a standalone, complex condition that warrants tailored treatment. During his tenure as president of the Korean Spine Pain Society, Lee oversaw the publication of Korea’s first textbook on spine pain medicine.

As president of the Korean Pain Society last year, Lee played a pivotal role in organizing a joint conference with the WSPC and the International Congress on Spinal Pain in Seoul. The event brought together over 1,200 global experts in pain medicine and showcased Korea’s growing influence in the field.

In his inaugural speech as WSPC president, Lee emphasized the pressing need to address the burden of pain.

“Millions of patients worldwide suffer from significant declines in their quality of life due to pain, leading to substantial socioeconomic costs,” Lee said. “WSPC will work to advance neuroscientific understanding of pain and refine global standards for pain management, ensuring more effective care for these patients.”