Acupotomy-Centered Korean Medicine Treatment Research: Significance of KCI Listing for the Journal of Korean Acupotomy Medicine

Hello, I am Hyocheong Chae, the chief director of Sunyujae Korean Medicine Clinic. As the Planning Director of the Korean Society of Acupotomy, I have consistently contemplated how clinical treatment experiences can be organized into research and academically verified. In particular, while overseeing the publication of the Korean Society of Acupotomy’s academic journal, I have deeply realized the importance of systematically organizing clinical experiences with acupotomy treatment into research language and accumulating them according to academic standards.

The news that the Journal of the Korean Society of Acupotomy has been listed in the Korea Citation Index (KCI) is personally significant to me, as it indicates that the acupotomy research accumulated in clinical practice has now passed an academic standard. This KCI listing is especially meaningful because it officially recognizes an academic journal primarily created by clinical Korean medicine doctors, rather than being centered around universities or large research institutions. Below, I will share the article as reported in the Korean Medical Newspaper.

[Korean Medical Newspaper] The Journal of the Korean Society of Acupotomy, published by the Korean Society of Acupotomy (President Yoo Myung-seok), was recently listed in the Korea Citation Index (KCI). KCI is a citation database managed by the National Research Foundation of Korea that comprehensively evaluates and manages the academic level, editorial and publishing system, research ethics, and citation status of domestic academic journals. It serves as a standard for objectively verifying the qualitative level of domestic academic journals. Therefore, KCI listing signifies that the journal possesses a certain level of academic credibility and has secured an editorial system capable of continuous publication.

Since its establishment in 2016, the Korean Society of Acupotomy has published its academic journal by compiling the society’s clinical theories and members’ acupotomy treatment case reports. Until 2019, it maintained an annual publication system, and since 2020, it has established and operated a twice-yearly publication system in June and December. Furthermore, to improve the quality of the journal, the society has appointed prominent domestic and international figures as editorial board members and has continuously promoted various initiatives to strengthen members’ thesis writing capabilities, centered around the academic editorial team. Based on these achievements, the journal achieved KCI listing after 10 years since the society’s establishment and 5 years of preparation for KCI listing.

The Journal of the Korean Society of Acupotomy is a comprehensive academic journal covering research across Korean medicine, with a focus on acupotomy treatment. It accepts submissions year-round through its journal submission system (https://www.jkmst.org). Notably, it publishes review articles, original articles, and case reports twice a year (June 30 and December 30). A distinctive feature is its continuous presentation of research based on experiences accumulated in actual clinical settings, including studies on musculoskeletal disorders centered on acupotomy, as well as pain treatment, clinical case reports, and treatment mechanism research in various clinical fields such as ophthalmology, otolaryngology, and psychiatry.

Recently, the journal has also focused on publishing papers that reflect changing clinical environments and the latest research trends, such as interventional procedures utilizing ultrasound. This KCI listing holds significant meaning because, within the Korean medicine KCI-listed journal landscape, which is largely dominated by university-centered basic research or large research institution-centered academic journals, a journal published primarily by clinicians has now been included.

In this regard, Hyocheong Chae, Planning Director of the Korean Society of Acupotomy, stated, “The efforts to organize treatment experiences accumulated in clinical settings into academically verifiable forms have led to this KCI listing,” and added, “We will continue to strive to operate the journal to ensure that clinical-based research across Korean medicine treatment, with a focus on acupotomy, is continuously accumulated.”

With this KCI listing as a turning point, the Journal of the Korean Society of Acupotomy is expected to further expand its research accessibility and citation potential. Going forward, papers published in the Journal of the Korean Society of Acupotomy will be officially recognized as research achievements in university faculty appointment and reappointment evaluations, and will also be acknowledged as achievements for participating as speakers in various academic conferences organized by the Association of Korean Medicine.

This is expected to significantly contribute to promoting research participation among clinical Korean medicine doctors and strengthening the academic foundation for accumulating clinical evidence in the field of acupotomy. Meanwhile, the latest issue, scheduled for publication on the 30th, includes acupotomy treatment case reports on various diseases, such as *Ultrasound-guided Acupotomy Targeting the Plantar Fascia-Flexor Digitorum Brevis Interface in Plantar Fasciitis: A Retrospective Case Series* and *A Case of Complex Korean Medicine Treatment Including Acupotomy for a Patient with Restricted Elbow Joint Range of Motion after Olecranon Comminuted Fracture*.

Additionally, the paper “Proposed Procedure for Ultrasound-Guided Cervical Interlaminar Epidural Pharmacopuncture” introduced a treatment procedure for radiculopathy related to cervical disc herniation and spinal stenosis using ultrasound-guided pharmacopuncture. Furthermore, two papers, “Bibliometric Analysis of Acupuncture Treatment Research Trends in Stroke over the Last 20 Years” and “Bibliometric Analysis of Acupotomy Clinical Research Trends,” analyzed the annual research trends, major research topics, and research types of domestic and international academic papers on stroke acupuncture treatment and acupotomy clinical research, respectively, summarizing the overall flow of research in these fields.

President Yoo Myung-seok stated, “Our society shared the research achievements of Korean acupotomy medicine at international academic conferences such as ICMART and ICOM, as well as through lectures at national Korean medicine academic conferences throughout 2025.” He added, “We are continuously engaged in academic exchange and research activities, including signing a business agreement for acupotomy research cooperation with Dongguk University College of Korean Medicine last August.”

President Yoo continued, “Moving forward, we plan to operate the academic journal with a focus on research that is practically helpful in clinical settings, and to continue activities for the scientific evidence establishment and academic systematization of acupotomy medicine.” He emphasized, “Through this, we will solidify our status as a leading professional society for acupotomy medicine in Korea, while actively playing a role in widely promoting Korean acupotomy medicine and Korean medicine to the world.”

Source: Korean Medical Newspaper (https://www.akomnews.com) I believe acupotomy is not merely a surgical technique, but a process of understanding a patient’s structural problems and finding the appropriate treatment direction. The KCI listing of the Journal of the Korean Society of Acupotomy is significant because it establishes a foundation for experiences accumulated in the clinic to be organized into case reports and research, which can then be fed back into clinical practice.

Going forward, we will do our best to ensure that research and clinical practice are not separated, and that every patient who visits Sunyujae receives treatment that is genuinely helpful. Thank you. — Hyocheong Chae, Director of Sunyujae Korean Medicine Clinic, Planning Director of the Korean Society of Acupotomy

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This post was written directly by the medical staff of Sunyujae Korean Medicine Clinic to provide medical information, in compliance with Article 56(2) and Article 57(3) of the Medical Service Act. The duration and outcome of treatment may vary from person to person, so please consult a qualified practitioner before beginning treatment.