Welcome to the inaugural issue of the Journal of Urologic Oncology (JUO).

Since its foundation in 2003, Korean Journal of Urological Oncology (KJUO), the official journal of the Korean Urological Oncology Society, has published original articles, case reports, and reviews on urological oncology. Published 4 times a year, it has served as a reliable medium for not only our society members but also nonmember urologists at home and abroad to communicate their latest research results and opinions on urological oncology. It has also provided urology residents with a fast and accessible way to achieve the minimum academic requirements for Urology certification. Over the past 20 years, KJUO has made significant progress both quantitatively and qualitatively. Thanks to the contributions of loyal members, dedicated editorial team and thorough peer-reviewers review, it was listed in the Korean Citation Index in 2017, and maintains its status after re-examination in 2020, publishing an average of 26 high-quality papers per year. However, the goal of a scientific paper is not just publication. Its vitality is maintained when fellow scientists read it, inspiring them, and ultimately making them cite the paper in new research. Looking back at the vitality of our papers, the picture is clearly disappointing. Of the 150 papers published between 2015 and 2020, only 28 papers were cited at least once, with 81% of papers going unnoticed. How can this discrepancy exist between self-proclaimed “high quality” and poor citation index? Is the average quality of the papers not good enough? Is the National Research Foundation of Korea doing the right job to keep Korean Citation Index reliable? The sad truth lies within us. KJUO has not received the attention it deserves from its members as the official journal of Korean Urological Oncology Society (KUOS). In fact, we were more interested in getting our work published in a reputable journal than building up the reputation of our journal itself. Is change possible, or is change necessary at all? The answer is yes. The field of urological oncology has not stopped growing worldwide in recent years, at a time when other urological subspecialties have been somewhat stagnant. Amid this global expansion, KUOS has become a large organization attracting young, seriously committed members who aspire to become world leaders in their field. Yes, we see great potential in the new generation. Now, we must provide a more open space where we can disclose our academic achievements more easily, more expansively and faster so that our works can be noticed by a wider audience. We must sacrifice the convenience of writing in our own language to gain international attention. A more open space should not be limited to ourselves. We must turn our attention to the needs of our international colleagues and invite them to publish their valuable works in our journal. Science Citation Index Expanded contains only a handful of journals commonly grouped into the category of Oncology and the category of Urology and Nephrology. We must do our part to expand the list and provide publication opportunities to fellow researchers by collaborating with world’s leading experts in urological oncology.

I would like to congratulate Professor C. Kwak, the past President of KUOS and the Editor-in-Chief of JUO who had the inspiration and courage to make the difficult decision to convert KJUO to JUO last year amid the turmoil of COVID-19.

I would also like to commend the dedication of Professor Y.H. Ko, the Deputy Editor of JUO and the task force team that made the inaugural issue of JUO possible.