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A Medical Journey Shaped by War and Discovery
Lee Ho-wang, a Korean microbiologist known for identifying the Hantaan virus, began his scientific career during one of the most turbulent periods in modern Korean history. Born in October 1928 in Sinheung, South Hamgyong Province, he started studying medicine in Hamhung before the Korean War forced him to move south and continue his education at Seoul National University, which was operating under a wartime university system.
After earning his medical degree from Seoul National University in 1954, Lee served as a lieutenant in the South Korean Army before traveling to the United States for graduate study. At the University of Minnesota, he specialized in microbiology and earned both a master's degree in medicine and a doctorate in science before returning to Korea.
The Search for the Cause of a Mysterious Disease
After returning home, Lee joined Seoul National University's medical school in 1961 and initially researched Japanese encephalitis viruses. He later shifted his focus to epidemic hemorrhagic fever, a disease that had affected many patients but whose cause remained unknown.
Beginning in 1969, Lee continued his investigation with support from the U.S. Army. After years without a breakthrough, his research took a new direction when he read about the possibility that fungi found in the lungs of field mice could be linked to disease. He began studying mouse lung tissue more closely.
On Dec. 20, 1975, Lee identified the pathogen he had been searching for while examining antigen reactions through a used fluorescence microscope. The discovery came from the lung tissue of a striped field mouse.
Hantaan Virus and a New Era in Viral Science
Lee spent the following four years comparing the newly discovered pathogen with about 500 previously reported viruses. He concluded that it was an entirely new species and named it Hantaan virus after the Hantan River in Korea, where the research was connected.
The discovery, announced in 1976, identified the cause of Korean hemorrhagic fever, now known as hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. Hantaan virus became the first pathogenic microorganism discovered by a Korean scientist and was later included in medical and biology textbooks worldwide.
Lee continued his work in 1980 by identifying another hemorrhagic fever pathogen from house rats captured in Seoul's Seodaemun district. He named it Seoul virus, demonstrating that the disease could occur not only in rural areas but also in urban environments.
He proposed the name Hantavirus for the virus group that included Hantaan virus and Seoul virus, and the classification was accepted by the international virology community.
From Discovery to Vaccine Development
Lee's research extended beyond identifying viruses. He worked on diagnostic methods and vaccine development, discovering that repeated cultivation of the virus in animal tissues could reduce its ability to cause disease.
Working with GC Green Cross, Lee helped develop a vaccine against epidemic hemorrhagic fever. Manufacturing approval was granted in 1990, and the vaccine, known as Hantavax, entered the market in 1991 after clinical trials. It was recorded as South Korea's first new drug.
The World Health Organization recognized his achievements by designating the Virus Research Institute at Korea University, where Lee worked, as the world's only WHO Collaborating Centre for Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome research. Lee also helped develop a combination vaccine targeting two types of hemorrhagic fever found in Asia and Europe and received a patent for the work in 1998.
A Legacy in Global Medical Science
Lee Ho-wang founded the Korean Society for Virology in 1971 and later served in leadership roles at major medical research organizations, including Korea University's medical school, Seoul Asan Medical Center's Institute for Life Sciences, and the Korean Vaccine Society.
His achievements were recognized with numerous honors, including the U.S. Distinguished Civilian Service Medal in 1979, the Korean Academy of Science Award in 1980, the Ho-Am Prize in 1992, the Mahidol Prince Award in Thailand in 1994, and the Nikkei Asia Prize in Japan in 2001. He was also named to Korea's Hall of Fame for Science and Technology in 2003 and recognized as a Korean science and technology contributor in 2017.
Through the discovery of Hantaan virus and Seoul virus, along with the development of diagnostic tools and vaccines, Lee created a complete path from identifying a disease-causing organism to preventing infection. His work remains a landmark achievement in Korean medical history and international virology.
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