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Byung-Pil Yoo was one of the first graduates of the public medical school during the end of the Chosun dynasty. He worked as a doctor, medical educator, public servant, and enlightenment activist. As an intellectual, he was concerned about the overall medical problems, tried to make them public, and set the policy for them. He actively participated in the hygiene enlightenment campaign, and he made an effort to establish a doctors' organization. He acutely criticized the high-handed hygiene policy of the Japanese government and presented his idea of policy in which Korean doctors can have a voice. However, his overall understanding of the society was rooted from the modernistic thinking, which kept him from perceiving the imperialistic invade of Japan. After the Japanese Occupation, he opened a clinic and actively participated in the Hansung Doctors' Association, an organization for the Koreans' benefit. HanSung Doctors' Association participated in the activities to fight against the discrimination and the disadvantages of the Korean people in medical treatment. The Yong-Hung Emethin incident was one of such activities. However, they did not criticize the profound problems of Japanese colonial medical policy. It was partly because the Japanese ruling system was strong, but also because the doctors could not understand the medical problems in the context of the nation's status. Byung-Pil Yoo, who was one of the prime movers in the association, could not avoid this limitation. Though he opened his clinic and participated in the Hansung Doctors' Association actively, he also joined in the pro-Japanese organization such as GakpayoojiYeonMaeng. The life of Yoo shows another example of limitation of intellectuals under colonial rule. Yoo accepted the modern knowledge but could not expand his knowledge into the understanding of society, as he only stayed within the boundary of his professional field. It happened in the various fields of modern studies, such as law, economics, and medical science as well. Thus, here are the tasks assigned to Korean modern medical system after liberation : to revive the once-dead perception of social problems, and to take the initiative in developing the medical system.
