There are three regional societies, the Asian Society of Abdominal Radiology (ASAR), the Society of Abdominal Radiology (SAR), and the European Society of Gastrointestinal and Abdominal Radiology (ESGAR) and European Society of Uroradiology (ESUR), in the field of abdominal radiology. ASAR is a federation of affiliated organizations, consisting of seven national societies. The logo of ASAR was created in 2007 (Fig. 1). Table 1 shows the list of seven affiliated societies of ASAR. The Chinese Taipei Society of Abdominal Radiology (CTSAR) was established in 1951. The Singapore Radiological Society was established in 1977. The Korean Society of Abdominal Radiology (KSAR) was established in 1983, the Chinese Society of Abdominal Radiology (CSAR) in 1988, the Japanese Society of Abdominal Radiology (JSAR) in 1990, the Korean Society of Uroradiology in 1993, the Indonesian Society of Radiology in 2015, and the Mongolian Society of Abdominal Radiology in 2013. One and a half decades have now elapsed since the ASAR was established. The pioneers who established ASAR are now retiring, and the leadership is being taken over by members of the younger generations. With the passage of time, the process of how ASAR was established, as well as the original aim and spirit of ASAR, have not always been well understood, particularly by its younger leaders. In 2017, the 6th Congress of ASAR was held in Busan, Korea, and Congress Secretary General, Dr. Myeong-Jin Kim, suggested that the author give a lecture titled ASAR; Past, Present, and Future, to the congress. In addition, the editor of the Korean Journal of Abdominal Radiology (KJAR), Dr. Jei Hee Lee, asked the author to contribute this lecture to KJAR as a review article.

The basic concept and name of ASAR would unite each geographic nation, to have established societies across three continents of the world. The first geographic federation established was the Society of Uroradiology (SUR) in 1966, followed by the Society of Gastrointestinal Radiology (SGR) in 1971 in the USA. The ESGAR and ESUR were established in 1990. For that reason, there was an urgent requirement to organize geographic federations in other areas. Formation of the Asian Federation of Abdominal Societies was triggered by the formation of SGR, SUR, ESGAR, and ESUR from 1960 to 1990, resulting in the establishment of ASAR.

Concerning the history of ASAR, Dr. Yuji Itai should be introduced. Dr. Yuji Itai was a professor of Radiology at Tokyo University Hospital. Dr. Yuji Itai was a mentor for Japanese and Korean leaders of radiology (Fig. 2). From 1995, Dr. Byung Ihn Choi and Dr. Yuji Itai discussed the possibility of founding the ASAR. In early 1997, Dr. Byung Ihn Choi sent a survey letter to collect opinions concerning the ASAR from the presidents of six national societies of radiology in South Eastern Asia and Australia. However, their response was not in favor of the foundation of ASAR because there was no abdominal subspecialty society in these countries. Therefore, Dr. Yuji Itai and Dr. Byung Ihn Choi decided to wait for a certain period of time. In 2002, the Japanese Congress of Radiology was held in Kobe. Dr. Yuji Itai, Dr. Osamu Matsui, and Dr. Byung Ihn Choi met and discussed this matter again. Unfortunately, Dr. Yuji Itai passed away in early 2003. He received an honorary membership and laudation from the Radiological Society of North America and European Society of Radiology (Fig. 3).

In 2005, the JSAR annual congress was held in Kumamoto, Japan. The JSAR President, Dr. Osamu Matsui, Congress president, Dr. Yasuyuki Yamashita, and secretary general of the JSAR, Dr. Hiromu Mori, invited Dr. Byung Ihn Choi and Dr. Kyung Sik Cho to this congress. During the congress, Dr. Byung Ihn Choi attended the Executive Council meeting of JSAR and proposed the idea of founding ASAR. At that time, the founding president of JSAR, Dr. Hideo Uchida strongly supported this proposal, and Dr. Osamu Matsui and Dr. Hiromu Mori, president and secretary general of JSAR, respectively, agreed with this idea. Consequently, the 1st congress of ASAR (Asian Congress of Abdominal Radiology, ACAR) was held in Japan, under the leadership of Dr. Hideo Uchida, Dr. Osamu Matsui, and Dr. Hiromu Mori (Fig. 4) (1). Table 2 shows a list of the presidents of ASAR, and Table 3 shows a list of the gold medalists of the ASAR. (Fig. 5). Table 4 shows a list of honorary fellows of the ASAR (Fig. 6).

All activities of the ASAR rely on annual fees from the seven affiliated societies. The annual membership fee is USD 10 for individual member and USD 7 for group members.

The purpose of the ASAR is to give opportunities to radiologists working in developing countries to learn basic and advanced radiology knowledge with less difficulty. There is an uneven economic situation across Asia, which is geographically broad. In general, radiologists' income in developing countries is not enough to maintain annual society fees of a few hundred USD (2).

Many countries have not yet established academic societies specializing in abdominal radiology in Asia. Radiologists in these countries may obtain an individual membership. Several countries in Asia that have a SAR initiated at ASAR/ACAR in 2007 and the radiologist belonging to their academic society may take advantage of the group membership. The merits are as follows: 1) administration of ASAR - members of academic societies with group membership can become an Executive Councilor or Auditor, 2) hosting ACAR - academic societies with group membership can host ACAR, and 3) an annual membership fee of 7 USD.

The current number of members is 2500, including seven group memberships and 11 individual members. Therefore, the total annual income of ASAR is a little more than 15000 USD, provided all of the fees are paid on time. Therefore, ASAR is not rich. In recent years, ASAR has been very much engaged in five important projects such as education; thus, the budgetary demand is critical.

The administration of ASAR is carried out by 14 members, including five officers (President, President-elect, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer, and Immediate Past President), four committee chairs, and five co-opted councilors. The officers from 2010 to 2017 are listed in Table 5.

The Administrative Council Meeting of ASAR is held once a year (Fig. 7). Officers are elected at the General Assembly, which is held at the Congress every two years. However, voting is held using a mail ballot from the affiliated societies prior to the General Assembly. The President-elect is appointed as the next President without further voting. The President-elect will take over the responsibilities of the President if he or she has an accident. The Vice-President is appointed as the next President-elect without further voting. The Vice-President will substitute for the Secretary and Treasurer under the same circumstances.

The administrative councilors are thus appointed on the basis of each society but are requested to dedicate their activities only to the benefit of ASAR itself, independently from their own societies. The term for administrative councilors is two years.

ACAR, which started in Japan, has been successfully held every two years (Table 6, Fig. 8) until 2019. From 2020, ACAR will be held annually. The first ACAR was held in 2007 in Miyazaki hosted by JSAR. The congress president was Dr. Osamu Matsui (Fig. 9). The second congress was held in Seoul hosted by KSAR. The congress presidents were Dr. Seung Hyup Kim and Dr. Chang Hae Suh (Fig. 10). The third congress was held in the China National Convention Center in Beijing hosted by CSAR. The congress presidents were Dr. Cheng Zhou and Dr. Qiyong Guo (Fig. 11). The fourth congress was held in Kaohsiung in 2013 by CTSAR. The congress presidents were Dr. Gin-Chang Liu and Dr. Yi-Hong Chou (Fig. 12). The fifth ACAR was held in Hamamatsu in 2015 by JSAR. The congress president was Dr. Hiromu Mori. This congress was successful with a diverse program including an opening ceremony, SAR lecture by Dr. Alex Megibow and Dr. Deborah A Baumgarten, and an Editor Lecture by Dr. C Daniel Johnson, editor of Abdominal Radiology, an official journal of ASAR (Fig. 13). The sixth ACAR was held in Seoul by KSAR. The congress president was Dr. Seung Hyup Kim. This congress was also very successful with ESGAR, ESUR, and SAR lectures (Fig. 14). The seventh ACAR was held in Chengdu, China in May 2019.

The ASAR publishes its official journal, Abdominal Radiology, in conjunction with SAR. The number of Asian editorial board members is seven, including two associate editors, Dr. Hiromu Mori and Dr. Seung Hyup Kim (Fig. 15).

International collaboration of ASAR with other regional societies was initiated by Dr. Byung Ihn Choi in 2012. In 2012, Dr. Stuart Silverman, president of SAR, and Dr. Byung Ihn Choi, president of ASAR, agreed upon an memorandum of understanding (MOU) between ASAR-SAR for collaboration (Fig. 16).

An exchange lecture program for ASAR-SAR collaboration was started in 2013. Dr. Choi was the first ASAR lecturer during the SAR meeting 2013 in Maui, USA, and Dr. Stuart Silverman was the first SAR lecturer during ACAR 2013 in Kaoshiung, Taiwan. Dr. Alex Megibow and Dr. Deborah A Baumgarten were SAR lecturers and Dr. C Daniel Johnson, editor of Abdominal Radiology, was a special lecturer at ACAR 2015 in Hamamatsu, Japan. Dr. Yi-Hong Chou was the ASAR lecturer at SAR 2014 in Florida, USA, and Dr. Seung Hyup Kim was the ASAR lecturer at SAR 2015 in Hawaii. Dr. Hiromu Mori was an ASAR lecturer at SAR 2016 in Orlando, and Dr. Judy Yee and Dr. John Mayo-Smith were SAR lecturers at ACAR 2017 in Busan (Fig. 16).

During the ESGAR congress in Barcelona in 2013, Dr. Louis Mati-Bonmati, president of ESGAR, and Dr. Byung Ihn Choi, president of ASAR, agreed upon an MOU for mutual collaboration between ASAR and ESGAR (Fig. 17). An exchange lecture program for ASAR-ESGAR collaboration was started in 2013. Dr. Myeong-Jin Kim was an ASAR lecturer at ESGAR 2014. Dr. Celso Matos, Dr. Yves Menu, and Dr. Louis Mati-Bonmati were ESGAR lecturers at ACAR 2015 in Hamamatsu, Japan. Dr. Jeong Min Lee was an ASAR lecturer at ESGAR 2016 in Prague, Czechia. Dr. Panus Prassopolos and Dr. Steve Halligan were ESGAR lecturers at ACAR 2017 in Busan, Korea, and Dr. Manabu Minami was an ASAR lecturer at ESGAR 2017 in Athens, Greece (Fig. 17).

During the SAR Congress in Boca Raton, USA in 2014, MOU for mutual collaboration between ASAR-ESUR was agreed by the presidents of both societies, Dr. Hiromu Mori and Dr. Harriet C. Thoeny (Fig. 18). An exchange lecture program for ASAR-ESUR collaboration was started in 2015. Dr. Michel Claudon and Dr. Harriet C. Thoeny were ESUR lecturers during ACAR 2015 (Fig. 18). Dr. Harriet C. Thoeny was ESUR lecturer during the ACAR 2017 in Busan, Korea.

ASAR started an educational lecture course (ELC) from 2016. The 1st education program was initiated by Dr. Hiromu Mori, president, and Dr. Manabu Minami, secretary of ASAR, and was held on October 8–9, 2016 supported by local organizers in Indonesia, Dr. I Wayan Murna Yonathan, President of the Indonesian Society of Abdominal Radiology (ISAR), and Dr. Sahat Matondang, Chair of the Local Organizing Committee from ISAR. The course was very successful, and there were 320 registered participants. Thirty-four topics were presented by 20 speakers (Fig. 19).

The ASAR ELC is held in a different location in Asia every year. ASAR decided to hold this lecture “on-demand” rather than in a fixed place, because there are still many countries that do not have an academic radiological society specializing in the abdominal organs. The leadership of the ELC consists of the ASAR Executive Councilors and Advisers, with the central role played by the chairperson of the Education Committee of ASAR Executive Councilors.

The second ELC was held at The First Bethune Hospital of Jilin University Media Conference Hall in Changchun, Jilin, China, on September 22–23, 2017, organized by Dr. Seung Hyup Kim, president of ASAR; Dr. Cher Heng Tan, Chair of Education of Committee of ASAR; Dr. Changhong Liang, Vice Chairman of Chinese Society of Radiology; Dr. Bin Song, President of CSAR, and Dr. Huimao Zhang, Chair of Radiology Department of the First Hospital of Jilin University.

The third ELC was held in conjunction with the Radiology Asia Meeting at MAX Atria, Singapore EXPO, in Singapore at May 12, 2018, organized by Dr. Seung Hyup Kim, Dr. Cher Heng Tan, and Dr. Wey Chyi Teoh, Chair of the Abdominal Sub-section of the Singapore Radiology Society (3).

The hosting societies for future ELCs will be Hanoi, Vietnam in 2019 and Bali, Indonesia in 2020.

The ASAR and ASAR ELC have videorecorded educational lectures that are then uploaded on the ASAR website. Any member of ASAR can learn from them.