The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
  • World Expo 2030
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
  • Hangzhou Asian Games
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
  • World Expo 2030
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
  • Hangzhou Asian Games
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
  • Login
  • Register
  • Login
  • Register
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
  • 1

    INTERVIEWYim Si-wan went extra mile to portray legendary athlete in 'Road to Boston'

  • 3

    S. Korea to stage massive military parade as tensions with North remain high

  • 5

    China's 'batwoman' scientist warns another coronavirus outbreak is 'highly likely'

  • 7

    Seoul, Beijing try to mend fences as Russia and N. Korea grow closer

  • 9

    4 in 10 Koreans experience overdue wages: survey

  • 11

    Korea, Saudi Arabia celebrate 93rd Saudi National Day, vow stronger cooperation

  • 13

    The ethical issues of AI: fighting the right battles

  • 15

    Low growth becomes new normal for Korean economy

  • 17

    LG Chem to build LFP cathode plant with Huayou in Morocco

  • 19

    Bears of Joseon part 2: Behind bars

  • 2

    Samsung, SK relieved by revised chip restrictions on China

  • 4

    K-pop group Kingdom recalls album cover resembling Quran

  • 6

    BTS' Jungkook to drop 2nd solo single '3D'

  • 8

    Tanghulu captures hearts of Korean millennials and Gen Z

  • 10

    Patients, doctors at loggerheads as operating room CCTV footage made mandatory

  • 12

    PHOTOSHarvest season arrives

  • 14

    Lee Jae-myung's possible arrest looms over main opposition party

  • 16

    Mirae Asset Global Investments' AUM reaches $219 bil.

  • 18

    Actor Song Joong-ki still hungry for new movie roles

  • 20

    An American high school experience in Seoul

Close scrollclosebutton

Close for 24 hours

Open
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
Tue, September 26, 2023 | 22:12
Fortune Telling
Mirror of Eastern Medicine Becomes UNESCO Heritage
Posted : 2009-07-31 18:00
Updated : 2009-07-31 18:00
Print PreviewPrint Preview
Font Size UpFont Size Up
Font Size DownFont Size Down
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • kakaolink
  • whatsapp
  • reddit
  • mailto
  • link

The first edition of “Donguibogam,” the encyclopedic medical book written in 1613 was placed on UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register Thursday. The book is the seventh registration for Korea. / Korea Times

By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter

An encyclopedic medical book written in the 17th century during the Joseon Kingdom was included in the UNESCO's Memory of the World Register, Thursday.

The "Donguibogam," literally meaning the "Mirror of Eastern Medicine," was among the 35 items added to the register. It was written by a royal physician, Heo Jun, and published by the Medical Center for the Royal Family of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910).

The Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea announced Friday that UNESCO Director General Koichiro Matsuura accepted the proposal at the three-day meeting of the International Advisory Committee of UNESCO's Memory of the World Programme held in Bridgetown, Barbados.

"Donguibogam received very good reviews. The panel said that the content was original and priceless and that it was a great heritage that is still used in East Asia. They also pointed out the fact that it was used to cure various illnesses for hundreds of commoners, even before Western medicine and treatments arrived in Asia," Choi Young-ho of the administration, said.

"The book successfully synthesized competing contemporary theories of medicine that had accumulated in East Asia for two millennia and went on to integrate medical knowledge and clinical experience together in a single collection," the administration wrote in a report sent to UNESCO.

He added that the registration would boost the efforts to bring international recognition of the book.

The book not only represents the scientific level of Korea, but also practicality, which was the reason for its wider use in Japan and China. Working as the backbone of Eastern medicine for the past three centuries, the "Donguibogam" is still referred to among modern Eastern medicine experts.

Heo (1546-1615) wrote the book in 1610 following the order of King Seonjo (1552-1608), who was looking to found an innovative public health program. It was published in 1613 by the Medical Center for the Royal Family.

Heo wrote numerous medical texts, but "Donguibogam" was his most significant. He traveled around the country searching for accessible remedies while the Korean alphabet was adopted together with Chinese characters in some parts so that commoners could also access the book.

It consists of 25 volumes dividing into five chapters - "Naegyeong" (Overview of the Inner Body) that deals with the book's worldview; "Oehyeong" (External Appearance) that explains the medical function of visible parts in the human body; "Japbyeong" about various diseases; and two chapters on "Tang-aek" or how to collect, process, prescribe and use substances for medicinal effects, and acupuncture.

The addition of the book makes Korea the only Asian nation with a total of seven cultural heritages included in UNESCO's Memory of the World Register. The other six are the Hunmin Jeonggum manuscript (registered in 1997); the "Annals of the Joseon Dynasty" (1997); Jikji or the second volume of the "Anthropology of Great Buddhist Priests' Zen Teachings" (2001); Seungjeongwon Ilgi or the "Diaries of the Royal Secretariat" (2001); the Tripitaka Koreana (2007); and Uigwe or the "Royal Protocols of the Joseon Dynasty" (2007).

The Memory of the World Register lists documentary heritage which has been identified by the International Advisory Committee during its meetings and is finally endorsed by UNESCO. Other items that made it to the list this year include the Diary of Anne Frank, the royal archives of Madagascar and the Registry of Slaves of the British Caribbean (1817-1834).

The list, started in 1997, now has a total of 193 entries from around the world.

sanghee@koreatimes.co.kr
 
miguel
wooribank
Top 10 Stories
1Tanghulu captures hearts of Korean millennials and Gen Z Tanghulu captures hearts of Korean millennials and Gen Z
24 in 10 Koreans experience overdue wages: survey 4 in 10 Koreans experience overdue wages: survey
3[PHOTOS] Harvest season arrives PHOTOSHarvest season arrives
4Korea has world's highest senior poverty rate: data Korea has world's highest senior poverty rate: data
5K-pop fans rally in Seoul against luxury brands' failure on climate action K-pop fans rally in Seoul against luxury brands' failure on climate action
6Korean gov't faces international criticism for R&D budget cuts Korean gov't faces international criticism for R&D budget cuts
7LG Uplus, Hanwha develop ceiling-mounted EV charging system LG Uplus, Hanwha develop ceiling-mounted EV charging system
8[EXCLUSIVE] Lawmakers to submit resolution urging China to free N. Korean escapees EXCLUSIVELawmakers to submit resolution urging China to free N. Korean escapees
9SK earthon begins crude oil production in South China Sea SK earthon begins crude oil production in South China Sea
10Main opposition chief in showdown with prosecutors over arrest Main opposition chief in showdown with prosecutors over arrest
Top 5 Entertainment News
1K-pop group Kingdom recalls album cover resembling Quran K-pop group Kingdom recalls album cover resembling Quran
2BTS' Jungkook to drop 2nd solo single '3D' BTS' Jungkook to drop 2nd solo single '3D'
3Cho Seong-jin celebrates 140-year ties between Korea, UK Cho Seong-jin celebrates 140-year ties between Korea, UK
4[INTERVIEW] ONEUS returns as 'mermaid prince' INTERVIEWONEUS returns as 'mermaid prince'
5Kep1er unveils 'Magic Hour' with fresh perspective on love Kep1er unveils 'Magic Hour' with fresh perspective on love
DARKROOM
  • Turkey-Syria earthquake

    Turkey-Syria earthquake

  • Nepal plane crash

    Nepal plane crash

  • Brazil capital uprising

    Brazil capital uprising

  • Happy New Year 2023

    Happy New Year 2023

  • World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

    World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Services
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Site Map
  • Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Ombudsman
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group