The Department of Radiation Oncology at the Catholic University of Korea traces its history back to March 1983, when the Radiation Therapy Unit was established shortly after the founding of the Korean Society for Radiation Oncology in 1982. Since then, our department has grown in step with the history of radiation oncology in Korea, achieving three major milestones in its development.

In the early years, the department began with a system consisting of a single NEC 6MV linear accelerator, a Toshiba simulator, and an NEC treatment-planning computer. The first milestone came in 1988, when Yeouido St. Mary’s Hospital performed Korea’s first total body irradiation (TBI), contributing significantly to the advancement of bone marrow transplantation for hematologic malignancies—a field in which we have continued to play a leading role. The second milestone occurred in 1996 with the opening of Gangnam St. Mary’s Hospital, where we introduced three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT), markedly enhancing the quality of radiation treatment. The third milestone came in 2009 with the opening of Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, where we established a full range of advanced techniques including stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT), and respiratory-gated radiation therapy (RGRT). Looking ahead, with the upcoming establishment of the PROTON Center, we aim to expand into particle therapy, advancing toward a truly comprehensive radiation treatment center.

Today, our department operates across eight hospitals—Seoul St. Mary’s, Yeouido St. Mary’s, Uijeongbu St. Mary’s, St. Vincent’s, Daejeon St. Mary’s, Incheon St. Mary’s, Bucheon St. Mary’s, and Eunpyeong St. Mary’s—establishing itself as the largest radiation oncology department in Korea. Each hospital provides specialized radiation therapy tailored to the characteristics of its regional patient population, and new equipment is continually being introduced across all affiliated hospitals. In addition, since the establishment of the Advanced Institute for Radiation Fusion Medical Technology in 2012, we have been at the forefront of research and development. Through patient-centered, high-quality radiation therapy and innovative contributions to research, our department remains committed to advancing the field of radiation oncology.