Heo Jun and the Compilation of Dongui Bogam

Heo Jun was a renowned royal physician who served during the mid-to-late Joseon period under Kings Seonjo and Gwanghaegun. Overcoming status limitations, he gained immense royal trust through medical service during wartime. In 1610, he completed the monumental medical encyclopedia Dongui Bogam, which systematically organized East Asian medical knowledge with an emphasis on preventive care and local Korean herbs. Published in 1613 and inscribed on UNESCO's Memory of the World register in 2009, his work deeply shaped traditional Korean medicine.

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