Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital names new President Lee Ji-youl

Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital has appointed Professor Lee Ji-youl, a urologist and authority in genitourinary cancers, as its 25th President. His two-year term will run from Sept. 1, 2025, to Aug. 31, 2027.

Professor Lee, 60, graduated from the Catholic University College of Medicine in 1989 and went on to earn his master’s and doctorate degrees from the same institution. Over the past three decades, he has established himself as a pioneer in integrating advanced information and communication technologies into patient-tailored cancer care, while also spearheading minimally invasive and precision treatment approaches in urology.

At Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, Lee previously served as the inaugural head of the Smart Hospital, director of the Robotic Surgery Center, and clinical chief of the Department of Urology.

Within the university, he also led the Catholic Cancer Research Institute and the Human Biobank at the Institute of Biomedical Industry. His academic contributions extend to serving as president of the Korean Urological Research Society, the Korean Prostate Society, the Asian Pacific Prostate Society, and the Asia Pacific Society of Human Genetics. He currently holds leadership as director of the Catholic Prostate Research Institute and President of the Asia Pacific Society of Uro-Oncology.

Lee is widely recognized for his achievements in robotic surgery. In 2024, he surpassed 2,000 robotic operations, with expertise spanning prostate, kidney, and bladder cancers.

His work has significantly advanced the field of minimally invasive cancer surgery, improving not only patient survival but also quality of life after treatment.

He has also introduced innovative therapies, including lutetium-177 radioligand treatment for metastatic prostate cancer resistant to conventional chemotherapy, a first in Korea, and the NanoKnife procedure, an electrochemical ablation therapy, which he remains the only physician in Korea to provide for localized prostate cancer patients.

In 2006, anticipating the rise of prostate disease in Korea’s aging society, Lee established Asia’s first prostate disease biobank.

By collecting and studying genetic, tissue, and blood samples from Korean patients, the initiative has enabled collaborative research with leading institutions in the U.S., Japan, and Singapore, and produced findings published in international journals.

Beyond clinical and research milestones, Lee has invested heavily in training the next generation of urologists through mentorship programs and education initiatives.

He has also championed the application of artificial intelligence and smart technologies in healthcare, establishing the Seoul St. Mary’s Smart Hospital and developing a post-surgery recovery application to support patients in Korea and abroad.

The inauguration ceremony for Lee will take place on Sept. 11 at 4 p.m. in the main auditorium of Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital.