Korea and China: Recent chiropractic advances in the Far East

Korea’s 120 doctors of
chiropractic are opposed not only by the medical profession but also
oriental MDs, and still face prosecutions and fines for practising
their profession. Another problem is that many other healers claim to
provide chiropractic services after completing short technique courses.
Korea and Taiwan are the last two countries in which DCs face the daily
threat of police action against them.

Korea
Korea’s 120 doctors of chiropractic are opposed not only by the medical profession but also oriental MDs, and still face prosecutions and fines for practising their profession. Another problem is that many other healers claim to provide chiropractic services after completing short technique courses. Korea and Taiwan are the last two countries in which DCs face the daily threat of police action against them.

Seoul, the vibrant capital of South Korea, was the site of the World Federation of Chiropractic’s (WFC) Annual Council Meeting from June 4-7.  The WFC Council met there to give support to the Korean Chiropractic Association (KCA), which is fighting for legislation to recognize and regulate chiropractic practice in Korea.

Real progress is now being made in Korea. As well, the 13 members of the WFC Council, representing all world regions and 90 national member associations:

• met with Congressman Choon-Jin Kim, a dental surgeon by training, who is leading the campaign for chiropractic legislation, and who reported on positive findings for chiropractic in a new government-funded survey of patients released April 30.
• visited Hanseo University just south of Seoul –which has Korea’s first government-approved school of chiropractic – where Council members met with students and faculty, and then joined Hanseo University president Dr. Kee-Sun Ham for a formal dinner.  Hanseo’s chiropractic program is being delivered in partnership with the University of Bridgeport College of Chiropractic in Connecticut, and is partway through the accreditation process.
• met with KCA members, and their leaders, including president Dr. Taeg Su Choi of Masan City (a graduate of Life University), Dr. Joon-Han Song (Palmer) and Dr. Nari Hong (RMIT University, Australia), both of Seoul, to plan future strategy.
• met with Dr. Martin Kollasch, Director of International Operations, United States National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE), one of many guests at the WFC Council meeting. Dr. Kollasch reported that Hanseo was now an official testing site for NBCE examinations in Asia.

“We are most grateful to the WFC”, says Dr. Choi.  “Its delegations to Korea in each of the past four years have been extremely helpful to our cause – we have many opponents in Korea, but with our patients, and the WFC supporting us, we will win in the end.”

China
There are currently 125 chiropractors in China. Most practise in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Hong Kong and Macau.

In one of the most significant developments within the profession of chiropractic, the WFC met with Chinese chiropractic leaders who voted to form the first Chiropractors’ Association of China (CAC). The chairman of the committee finalizing bylaws for the CAC, which is already legally registered, is Dr. Anli Dong of Beijing, a Sherman College graduate. 

Under contract with the World Health Organization, the WFC and the new CAC are now preparing a Chinese edition of the WHO Guidelines on Basic Training and Safety in Chiropractic. These guidelines may be seen and downloaded at  www.wfc.org under “Newsroom”.

“This WHO document,” says newly elected WFC President Dr. Stathis Papadopoulos of Cyprus, “will provide a strong basis for further development of chiropractic education and practice in China since it supports the CCE-based international standard for chiropractic education and defines chiropractic clearly as a separate and distinct profession.”