Korean hanbang and the Donguibogam

Korean medicine, hanbang or hanui, has roots in Chinese medicine, but over the centuries developed into a tradition of its own. As early as the Goryeo period Korea became known for its ginseng, which was exported to China and Japan.

In the fifteenth century Korean physicians deliberately looked for their own, native remedies, the hyangyak. In 1433 the Hyangyak Jipseongbang appeared, a large work on remedies from Korea itself.

The most important work is the Donguibogam, the “Precious Mirror of Eastern Medicine”. King Seonjo commissioned the court physician Heo Jun (1539–1615) in 1596. After the Japanese invasions and much hardship, Heo Jun completed the work in 1610, and in 1613 it was printed. UNESCO added it to the Memory of the World register in 2009.

Hanbang shares many concepts with Chinese medicine: yin and yang, qi, the five phases and the organs. But the Donguibogam emphasised preventing illness and nurturing life, and less curing illness after the fact.

A uniquely Korean contribution is Sasang medicine, the “four-constitution theory” of Lee Je-ma from 1894. According to this theory every person belongs to one of four constitutions: taeyang, soyang, taeeum or soeum. It determines which illnesses you get, which food suits you and which remedies help you.

In this way treatment is tailored to the person, not only to the illness.

For a long time knowledge was passed on at court and in families. Court physicians such as Heo Jun were carefully trained and selected through examinations.

Today Korea is one of the few countries with two equal medical professions. Doctors of Korean medicine, hanuisa, follow a six-year university programme and have their own state examination.

There are Korean medicine hospitals and clinics, and Korean medicine is partly covered by national health insurance.

The Donguibogam has 25 volumes and is divided into five chapters: internal medicine, external conditions, miscellaneous diseases, remedies and acupuncture. It was also widely read and reprinted in China and Japan.

The Hyangyak Jipseongbang of 1433 described native Korean remedies. Lee Je-ma’s Dongui Suse Bowon of 1894 laid the foundation of Sasang medicine.

UNESCO describes the Donguibogam as an encyclopaedia of medical knowledge still used in Korea today.

In South Korea Korean medicine is a full part of healthcare, with universities, hospitals and research institutes. Many Koreans visit a hanuisa for acupuncture, herbal remedies or dietary advice.

Ginseng is a major export product, and Korean red ginseng, which is steamed and dried, is known worldwide.

The tradition also lives on in daily life, in soups and teas with herbs.

Ginseng is the best-known Korean plant. It grows best in cool mountains and is cultivated for years before the root is harvested.

Other important remedies are liquorice, astragalus, jujube, ginger and kudzu. Korean cooking holds much knowledge of food as medicine, as in samgyetang, chicken soup with ginseng.

The Donguibogam describes hundreds of remedies, many of them from Korea itself.

Korean medicine is a learned tradition with its own identity. It is not simply a copy of Chinese medicine.

Ginseng can interact with medicines such as blood thinners and diabetes drugs, and can affect blood pressure. Consult a doctor.