Participation in the 2026 TSSES Annual Congress

I had the opportunity to attend the 14th Turkish Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Congress held in Adana from April 16 to 18, 2026. Professors Jung Hwan Kim and Kyung Hwan Ko, who were Türkiye travelling fellows in 2026, had already been in Türkiye for three weeks, visiting hospitals in various cities to observe surgeries and clinical practices. From Korea, the participants included myself, Prof. Sang Jin Shin, Hyun Seok Song, Woong Kyo Jeong, and Sae Hoon Kim.

Adana is a peaceful city on the Mediterranean coast, adjacent to Syria. It is by no means an easy place to get to. It took quite a long time to reach it. While waiting for our connecting flight from Istanbul to Adana, Prof. Hyun Seok Song took a short nap.

Upon arrival, however, Adana turned out to be peaceful, beautiful, and serene. Our accommodation was situated along the Seyhan River, near a magnificent mosque and the historic Stone Bridge, which boasts over a thousand years of history.

On the first day, Prof. Woong Kyo Jung delivered an ICL lecture, and I presented my abstract titled “Poor Tendon Quality in Traumatic RC Tears Serves as a Predictor of Retear Following RC Repair.” Professors Kyung Hwan Ko and Jung Hwan Kim also shared their impressions from their three-week travelling fellowship in Türkiye. In addition, the KSES travelling fellow presented reflections on their memorable experiences in Korea.

The second day was filled with more presentations and discussions. In between sessions, we played table tennis for manage health. All four senior professors demonstrated impressive skills at the game. Before attending the evening banquet, I enjoyed a Soju drink with Professors Ko and Kim at my hotel room. Drinking soju in Türkiye made me feel like I was in Korea.

The members of the TSES seemed to share similar values with us. They showed great affection toward the KSES members and generously treated us to excellent Turkish cuisine. I had the pleasure of speaking with Prof. Dr. Taner Güneş, the president of the TSES, and I agreed on a future visit as part of the Türkiye travelling fellowship. We also enjoyed taking photos together, capturing the joyful atmosphere.

Türkiye, referred to as a “brother nation” to Korea, indeed felt remarkably similar in many ways. I sincerely hope that this strong relationship continues, bringing long-lasting positive influence to both societies.

Su Cheol Kim
Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea