Heo June, Donguibogam and Imjin War(1592-1598)
Josun’s Medicine: Pure Science and East Asia’s Envy
Josun’s medicine was nothing short of scientific brilliance. Four centuries ago, Donguibogam became the envy of East Asia, a groundbreaking text that goes beyond diseases to tell a profound story of people and life. So iconic, it was repeatedly translated and published in Japan and China ever since the 1700s.
This encyclopedia masterfully encompasses Josun’s entire medical system, emphasizing treatment and prevention with everyday, easy-to-find herbs. Fun fact: While penicillin wasn’t developed until 1940, Donguibogam was already tackling infections in the 1600s!
Born from the Shadows of War
Born in 1539 as an illegitimate son facing discrimination, Heo June overcame the odds to become a royal physician in Josun. When Prince Gwanghaegun (future king) faced deadly smallpox, and no doctors dared intervene, Heo June bravely stepped in, risking his life to cure him. Rewarded with a high rank, he later tended to King Sunjo during the Imjin War’s evacuations, providing care amid flights from Japanese invaders.
In 1592, Japan unleashed the savage Imjin War on Korea, led by Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s 150,000+ troops. Cities burned, famines ravaged the land, and hundreds of thousands perished. The second invasion (1597–1598, known as the JungU War) was even more brutal and horrific: vengeful forces committed unspeakable atrocities—mass slaughters, widespread enslavement, and the infamous “nose-cutting” campaigns, where soldiers mutilated victims’ noses as gruesome war trophies, amplifying unimaginable suffering. Yet Korea endured, bolstered by Ming China’s alliance and Admiral Yi Sun-sin’s legendary turtle ships that crushed enemy fleets.
Amid this hellish turmoil in 1596, King Sunjo ordered Heo June to create Donguibogam to alleviate the people’s pain, and from the ruins, Heo June completed Donguibogam in 1613 by royal decree to fight plagues like epidemics with preventive wisdom and local herbs. Drawing on 83 Korean and 70+Chinese sources, it revolutionized Korean medicine for a broken people. Without war’s blaze, this healing beacon might never have been done. It directly shaped his career, his exile, and the purpose of his groundbreaking encyclopedia.
Three Timeless Principles for Accessible Healing
1. Prioritize self-care and lifestyle over medications.
2. Simplify complex prescriptions to their essence.
3. Use Hangul for local herb names—making it accessible for all Koreans.
A True Democratizer of Medicine
Donguibogam emerged from tireless efforts to communicate at the people’s level: real-life examples, simple ingredients easily found, and a focus on the body to share healing with everyone. It’s the ultimate democratizer of medicine!