Shares His Journey as a Medical Professional and Successful Cases of Innovation in Clinical Practice

Inspires Future Legal Professionals to Reflect on the Fundamental Value and Social Significance of Professional Work

YU Law School Expands Public Service and Social Responsibility Education Through a Distinguished Speaker Series Featuring Legal, Business, and Medical Leaders

[May 22, 2026]

YU (President CHOI Oe-chool) Law School is strengthening its efforts to cultivate future legal professionals with a strong sense of public service and social responsibility by providing students with insights from a wide range of professional fields.

Dr. WOO Sang-hyun, Director of W Hospital, recently took the podium in YU Law School’s newly established course, “Law and Social Responsibility.”Designed as a relay-style lecture series, the course invites experts from diverse professions—including legal practitioners, business leaders, and public-sector officials—to discuss the public role of legal professionals, their societal impact, and the balance between authority and responsibility. On May 18, Dr. WOO, one of the region’s most distinguished medical professionals, delivered a special lecture to students.

 During his lecture, Dr. WOO shared his experiences in pursuing challenges in specialized medical fields that few others had ventured into, as well as lessons learned from both failures and innovations in clinical practice. Drawing on these experiences, he emphasized the ethical standards and social responsibilities required of professionals. 

 “The most important thing is to deeply understand the fundamental value and social significance of the work you do,” Dr. WOO said. “The knowledge and experience each of us accumulates should not remain merely personal assets. Their true value emerges when they are shared with society and used for the benefit of others.” He continued, “The tears of patients allow physicians not only to feel their suffering but also to grow into more mature professionals. If we broaden the perspective from ‘patients’ to ‘clients,’ future legal professionals must likewise empathize deeply with the lives of others and make responsible judgments.” He added, “Professions such as medicine and law are not simply occupations; they are callings built upon public trust. I hope you will use a strong sense of ethics and responsibility to provide meaningful help to others while continually considering both the public good and your social responsibilities.”

Dr. WOO, a member of YU College of Medicine’s Class of 1980, is internationally recognized as a leading authority in hand and microsurgery. In 1999, he became the first Korean physician to serve as a Clinical Fellow at the Kleinert Institute for Hand and Microsurgery in the United States. In 2008, when microsurgical reattachment procedures were still largely unfamiliar in Korea, he established the nation’s first hospital specializing in digit replantation. He gained nationwide recognition in 2017 when he and the medical team at W Hospital’s Hand and Microsurgical Reconstruction Center successfully performed Korea’s first arm transplantation surgery. The achievement contributed to the legalization of arm transplantation and revisions to the Organ Transplant Act, while also advancing Korea’s previously underdeveloped fields of hand surgery and microsurgical reconstruction. Dr. WOO has served as President of the Korean Society for Microsurgery and Chair of the Korean Society for Surgery of the Hand, and currently represents Korea in the Asia Pacific Federation of Societies for Reconstructive Microsurgery. He has published 35 papers in internationally renowned academic journals and received the 2020 Best Paper Award from the official journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, earning global recognition for his academic and clinical excellence. 

Beyond his medical achievements, Dr. WOO is also widely respected for his continued commitment to giving back to society and supporting his alma mater. Through the establishment of the W Songwon Foundation, he has donated development funds annually to YU College of Medicine since 2022. The donations support the W Songwon Researcher Award, which recognizes and encourages outstanding academic research. In addition to his foundation’s contributions, Dr. WOO has consistently provided development funds to YU and was selected as a member of the university’s Cheonma Honors Society in 2021.He is also recognized as a “Proud Cheonma Alumnus” in the University History Hall on the second floor of the YU Museum, where items from his personal collection are displayed.

 These contributions carry significance beyond philanthropy, representing a meaningful form of social contribution through academic advancement and talent development. The W Songwon Foundation was established in honor of Dr. WOO’s late father, Professor WOO Bok-won, and continues to support scholarship and human resource development in accordance with his vision. Dr. WOO’s activities are widely regarded as a model example of how professionals can fulfill their social responsibilities.

 Dean SEO Bo-geon of YU Law School said, “Medical professionals and legal professionals are both representative professions built on public trust, requiring a high level of ethics and responsibility.

 Dr. WOO’s lecture provided students with valuable insights into the mission, public service, and practical responsibilities associated with professional life.”

  He added, “YU Law School will continue working with distinguished experts from various fields to help students develop into legal professionals equipped with balanced perspectives and a strong sense of practical responsibility.”