Traditional Korean Medicine
Korean Medicine and Kut Ceremonies
Location: North Korea; South Korea
Korean Medicine and Kut Ceremonies
Traditional Korean medicine blended elements of Chinese practice with Korean philosophy and folk customs. Illness was a sickness of the mind and spirit that manifested in the mind and body. It could arise internally or through an unbalanced environment. Doctors prescribed herbal remedies for most common ailments, similar to Chinese medicine. Others illnesses, however, required spiritual intervention.
Mudang shamans healed their patient through ceremonies known as kut. Kut could take many forms. Each problem required its own solution, which varied by region. At a typical kut, families came together to sing, dance, and commune with spirits. In many rites, they were encouraged to share their emotions freely, one of their few opportunities to do so. The catharsis, combined with prayer, was thought to fight illness and soothe angry spirits.[1][2]
Foundations of Korean Medicine
The yangban, familiar with Chinese texts, relied more heavily on Chinese and Indian medicine. Court physicians cared for the aristocracy and worked to spread medical knowledge. One notable doctor named Heo Jun compiled the 25-volume Dongui-Bogam in 1613. Unlike other texts, his book covered Korean herbs and treatments. This blend of Chinese and Korean practice became the standard of early Joseon. Heo Jun, wishing to help the commoners, even published parts of his work in Hangul.[1][3]
According to the Dongui-Bogam, health could be measured in the forces Jung, Gi, and Shin. Shin was the foundation of the soul. It supported Jung, or physical health and virility, and Gi, life energy. Negative emotions like greed and anger upset a person's internal balance, causing illness. As a result, medicine like herbs, moxibustion, and acupuncture were not enough to solve an illness. The sick person must be willing to change to truly recover.
Medicine in the Late Joseon Dynasty
A second major work of Korean medicine, the Dongui-Susae-Bowon, was published in 1894. Its author, Lee Jei-Ma, emphasized the connection between emotions and health. His philosophy, based on Chinese principles, divided the mind and body into quarters. The balance between them determined a patient's overall health. In this way, Joseon doctors sought to know the mindset of their patients as much as their physical condition.[1]
Modern Medicine in South Korea
The 20th century brought many changes to Korea, including its medical system. Christian missionaries often doubled as physicians and preached from their clinics. Western medicine established a real foothold in the nation in 1885. Dr. Horace Allen, a missionary, saved the life of Prince Min after he was stabbed by an assassin. As a reward, he became Korea's royal physician and was allowed to open a hospital in the country.[4]
After the invasion, Japanese officials also pushed Western medicine and law onto Korean society. Japan's own model was based on modified German practices. The medical school they established would later become the Seoul National University Medical School. Oriental medicine received more attention from the 1930s on, but it was never embraced by the Japanese.
The trend toward Western medicine continued in modern South Korea. Despite this, the nation has never forgotten its own customs. About 100 hospitals, 11 schools, and 7,000 clinics in South Korea practice Oriental medicine.[5] Many focus on overall wellness and comfort, often sharing their patients with Western medical centers.[1][6]
Bibliography
Haeyoung Jeong, Archaeology of Psychotherapy in Korea: A Study of Korean Therapeutic Work and Professional Growth (London: Routledge, 2015).
Chin Thack Soh, Korea: A Geomedical Monograph (Berlin: Springer, 1980), 1-2.
Michael J. Seth, A History of Korea: From Antiquity to the Present (Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2011), 215.
Soh, 39-41.
Don Baker, "Oriental Medicine in Korea" in Medicine Across Cultures: The History of Non-Western Medicine, ed. Helaine Selin (Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic, 2003), 150.
Bang Moon-kyu, "Future of Traditional Korean Medicine Depends on 'Scientization' and Standardization," The Korea Times, May 07, 2017, Korea Times, accessed May 21, 2017.
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