The Journal of Korean Medical Science (JKMS) was founded in 1986 by the Korean Academy of Medical Sciences (KAMS), the Korean Medical Association. The KAMS announces publication of JKMS as an open access journal with non-commercial attribution beginning with Volume 25, 2010. Full texts of its publications are to be e-published and freely available to audiences around the world through its own web page (http://jkms.org), Synapse (http://synapse.koreamed.org), and PubMed Central (http://pubmedcentral.gov). JKMS had been published bimonthly until 2009 but will be published monthly beginning with Volume 25 in 2010 in order to disseminate new medical knowledge more immediately. Monthly publication of JKMS as an open access journal will boost its international competitiveness. The JKMS will continue to aim to establish itself as one of the key international medical journals covering the full scope of medicine. The JKMS welcomes the submission of good original articles on general medicine from throughout the world.