Society for Korean Obesity and Metabolism Studies

Bylaws of the Society for Korean Obesity and Metabolism Studies

Chapter 1: General Provisions

Article 1 (Name)
This organization shall be named the Society for Korean Obesity and Metabolism Studies (hereinafter referred to as "the Society"), and abbreviated as SOMS.
Article 2 (Office)
The office of the Society will be located at Room 1116, 158, Gwanjeodong-ro, Seo-gu, Daejeon, Korea (Konyang University Hospital, Gwanjeo-dong).
Article 3 (Purpose)
The purpose of the Society is to promote research and educational activities in the fields of obesity and metabolic diseases, foster fellowship and academic exchanges among members, contribute to medical advancement, and promote public health.
Article 4 (Activities)
The Society shall engage in the following activities.

1. Activities related to the advancement of research in obesity and metabolic diseases.
2. Hosting academic conferences, training courses, seminars, and other scholarly activities.
3. Publishing academic journals and books.
4. Engaging in collaborating with domestic and international academic organizations.
5. Activities related to the prevention and promotion of obesity and metabolic diseases.
6. Activities related to training and certification of medical professionals or allied healthcare professionals in obesity and metabolic diseases.
7. Promoting fellowship and social events among members.
8. Other activities necessary to achieve the Society's objectives.

Chapter 2: Membership

Article 5 (Composition)
The Society shall consist of the following types of members:

1. Regular Members
2. Associate Members
3. Special Members
4. Honorary Members

Article 6 (Qualifications)
① Membership qualifications are as follows:

1. Regular Members: Specialists or experts in obesity and metabolic diseases who agree with the purpose of the Society and have been approved by the Board of Directors.
2. Associate Members: Residents, military doctors, public health officers, graduate students, or researchers in the fields of obesity and metabolic diseases who agree with the purpose of the Society and have been approved by the Board of Directors.
3. Special Members: Individuals or organizations who support the purpose of the Society and pay the annual membership fee, approved by the Board of Directors.
4. Honorary Members: Individuals who have made significant contributions to academia or are renowned foreign experts, who are approved by the Board of Directors, or regular members over 65 years old.

② Matters related to membership eligibility, review, and approval are governed by "separate management regulations."

Article 7 (Rights and Obligations)
① Members must comply with the Society’s bylaws and pay the annual membership fee.
② Regular members who fulfill the above obligations shall have the right to vote, run for office, and propose and vote on motions at various meetings, as stipulated in the bylaws.
Article 8 (Disciplinary Action)
① Members who damage the reputation of the Society or fail to pay the annual membership fee for three or more years without a valid reason may be warned, suspended, or expelled through a decision by the Board of Directors. Expulsion requires approval from the Council after a decision by the Board of Directors.
② Members who have been expelled for failing to pay fees for three or more years may regain their membership by explaining the reasons for non-payment, settling outstanding fees, and obtaining approval from the Board of Directors and the Council. However, expelled members wishing to rejoin must follow the new member registration process, regardless of the unpaid fees.

Chapter 3: Officers

Article 9 (Composition)
To perform the Society's duties, the following officers shall be selected from regular members:

1. President: 1
2. Directors: Around 30
3. Auditor: 1

Article 10 (Duties)
① The President represents the Society, presides over the Board of Directors, and oversees all operations. In the absence of the President, the General Affairs Director shall act in their place.
② The Auditor supervises the Society's operations and reports the results to the Board of Directors.
③ Directors are appointed by the President, and their duties are as follows:

1. General Affairs Director (1): Management and administration of the Society.
2. Finance Director (1): Financial and budgetary duties related to the operation of the Society.
3. Academic Director (1): Duties related to academic events.
4. Publication Director (1): Duties related to publishing journals and books.
5. Research Director (1): Duties related to research on obesity and metabolic diseases.
6. Training Director (1): Duties related to the education of general practitioners, specialists, and researchers.
7. Education Director (1): Duties related to training associate members and public education.
8. Policy Director (1): Duties related to obesity and metabolic disease policies.
9. Public Relations Director (1): Duties related to media relations and internal or external publicity.
10. Legal Director (1): Duties related to bylaws and regulations.
11. External Relations Director (1): Duties related to external relations.
12. International Relations Director (1): Duties related to international academic exchange.
13. Information and Communication Director (1): Duties related to website management and information services.
14. Pharmacological Treatment Director (1): Duties related to pharmacological treatment for obesity and metabolic diseases.
15. Behavioral Treatment Director (1): Duties related to behavioral treatments for obesity and metabolic diseases.
16. Nutrition Director (1): Duties related to food and nutrition for obesity and metabolic diseases.
17. Pediatric and Adolescent Director (1): Duties related to obesity and metabolic diseases in children and adolescents.
18. Surgical Treatment Director (1): Duties related to metabolic surgery.
19. Private Practice Director (1): Duties related to collaborations with private practitioners.

④ Non-executive Directors and Specially Appointed Director may be appointed as required.

Article 11 (Term)
① The term of office for officers shall be two years. For newly appointed officers, the term shall be the remainder of their predecessor's term.
② The term of office shall be based on the fiscal year, and re-election is allowed.
③ Officers shall continue in their roles until successors are appointed, even after their term expires.

Article 12 (Election)
① The next President shall be elected through direct voting by the Council from the candidates nominated by the Officer Nomination and Council Selection Committee.
② The next Auditor shall be elected through approval by the Council from candidates nominated by the Officer Nomination and Council Selection Committee.
③ The Directors shall be appointed by the President and approved by the Council.
④ Detailed regulations for officer nominations and elections shall be established separately.
⑤ Vacancies for the President and Auditor shall be filled as per paragraphs 1 and 2.
⑥ Vacancies for Directors shall be appointed by the President and approved by the Council, with retroactive approval in unavoidable cases.

Article 13 (Replacement Elections)
① In case of a vacancy for President or Auditor, a replacement election shall be held by the Council. However, if the remaining term is less than 12 months, the next President or Auditor shall assume the position.
② In case of a vacancy for a Director, the President shall nominate a replacement for Council approval, or, if unavoidable, retroactive approval may be sought.
③ The term of office for a replacement officer shall be the remainder of the predecessor's term.

Article 14 (Advisory Committee)
① Former Presidents may be appointed as advisory members. Additionally, individuals recommended by the current President and Advisory Committee may be appointed as advisory members.
② The term of office for advisory members shall be until the age of 75 years.

Chapter 4: Organization

Article 15 (Organization)
To achieve the Society's goals, the following bodies shall be established:

1. Council
2. Board of Directors
3. Committees
4. Advisory Committee

Article 16 (Composition and Term of the Council)
① The Council shall be established to monitor and decide on the overall operations of the Society.
② The Council shall comprise regular members under 65 years of age with at least the experience of an assistant professor or equivalent. Members of the Board of Directors may also be part of the Council. Regulations on the qualifications and selection of Council members shall be established separately.
③ The term of Council members shall be 2 years, with re-election permitted.
④ Council members are required to attend meetings. If they miss three or more meetings during their term, they shall be dismissed.

Article 17 (Council Duties and Decisions)
① Regular Council meetings shall be convened twice a year by the Chair, with the former President serving as the Chair.
② The Council shall decide on the following matters:

1. Budget approval, settlement, and business plans.
2. Amendments to the bylaws.
3. Election and approval of officers.
4. Changes in membership qualifications.
5. Matters suggested by the Board of Directors.
6. Other issues submitted by the Board of Directors.

③ A special Council meeting may be convened by the Chair upon request by one-third of the members or the Board of Directors.
④ The Council meeting shall be valid if attended by more than half of the members and decided by a majority vote of those present. The Chair does not have voting rights but shall have a deciding vote in the case of a tie.
⑤ In the case of national disasters or public health emergencies, such as infectious disease outbreaks, decisions may be made by written votes, with results reported at the next regular Council meeting.

Article 18 (Board of Directors Composition and Meetings)
① The Board of Directors shall comprise the President and Directors, and the President shall convene and chair the meetings.
② The Board shall hold regular and special meetings.
③ Regular meetings shall be held up to six times a year, and special meetings will be convened at the discretion of the Chair or upon request by one-third of the Directors.

Article 19 (Board of Directors Duties)
① The Board of Directors shall be responsible for the following.

1. Operations related to the objectives and activities of the Society.
2. Budget, financial statements, and business plans.
3. Approval of the next President and Auditor.
4. Membership qualifications, awards, and disciplinary actions.
5. Approval of reserve fund usage.
6. Summoning the Council meeting.
7. Monitoring general administrative and financial matters.
8. Establishment and amendment of the bylaws and regulations.
9. Matters delegated by the Council.
10. Other operational matters of the Society.

② Matters related to the division of duties among Directors shall be determined separately.

Article 20 (Board of Directors’ Decisions)
The Board of Directors shall be considered valid with the attendance of at least half of the Directors, and decisions shall be made with the majority of the votes of those present. In the case of a tie, the proposal shall be rejected. However, making decisions regarding disciplinary matters requires two-thirds of the total attendance and two-thirds of the votes of those present.

Article 21 (Committee Composition)

1. The Society may establish committees to perform the duties specified in Article 10.
2. The Board may establish special committees or task force teams.
3. The head of each committee shall be a Director responsible for the relevant duties. If necessary, a non-Director may be appointed as the Committee Chair.
4. Each committee may appoint 1 to 3 secretaries and approximately 10 members. Secretaries and members shall be appointed by the Directors and commissioned by the President.
Article 22 (Advisory Committee Functions)
The Advisory Committee shall perform the following functions.
1. Advisory matters related to amendments of the bylaws.
2. Recommendations for new advisory members.

Chapter 5: Assets and Accounting

Article 23 (Resources)
The Society's resources shall come from membership fees, revenue from academic activities, interest from principal assets, donations, and other incomes.

Article 24 (Management of Assets)
The management and operation of financial resources shall be as follows.

1. The Finance Director shall oversee the financial operations, ensuring fairness and transparency.
2. The Finance Director shall maintain records of financial operations.
3. The President shall supervise the Finance Director and bear the ultimate responsibility for membership fees and other financial matters.

Article 25 (Budget and Settlement)
① The budget and business plan for the fiscal year must be approved by the Board of Directors and ratified in regular Council meetings.
② The financial settlement for the previous fiscal year shall be audited by the Auditor and reported to the regular Council meetings by the Finance Director. However, audits of the financial status and operations may be conducted periodically if necessary.

Article 26 (Fiscal Year)
The Society's fiscal year shall run from January 1st to December 31st.

Article 27 (Accounting Handover)
The President, incoming President, Finance Director, and incoming Finance Director shall jointly handle the transfer of accounting responsibilities for the current and previous fiscal years.

Chapter 6: Secretariat

Article 28 (Secretariat)
① The Society shall establish a Secretariat to handle its administrative operations.
② The organization and duties of the Secretariat shall be governed by separate regulations.

Chapter 7: Supplementary Provisions

Article 29 (Amendment of Bylaws)
Amendments to the bylaws shall be proposed by the Board of Directors, approved by the Board of Directors, and ratified by the Council with the attendance of at least half of the Council members and approval from two-thirds of those present.

Article 30 (General Principles)
Matters not stipulated in these bylaws shall be governed by generally accepted practices.

Addendum
Article 1 (Effective Date)
These bylaws shall take effect from the data they are ratified by the Council following approval by the Board of Directors.
Article 2 (Other Matters)
The Society is a full member of the World Obesity Federation (WOF) and a sub-society of the Korean Academy of Family Medicine.