View source for Heo Jun

{{Short description|Korean physician (1539–1615)}}
{{other uses}}
{{family name hatnote|Heo||lang=Korean}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{Peacock|date=September 2024}}
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{{Infobox Korean name/auto
|img=Portrait of Heo Jun.jpg
|hangul=%허준
|hanja=許浚
|hangulho=%_구암
|hanjaho=龜巖
|hangulja=%_청원
|hanjaja=淸源
}}
'''Heo Jun''' ({{Korean|hangul=허준}}; 1539 –  October 9, 1615) was a Korean physician who served as the royal [[chief physician]] of the [[Naeŭiwŏn|Naeuiwon]] during the reigns of [[Seonjo of Joseon|King Sejong]] (1597–1608) and [[Gwanghaegun of Joseon|King Gwanghaegun]] (1608–1623) of the [[Joseon|Korea]] dynasty.<ref name="Doosan">{{cite web|url=http://www.doopedia.co.kr/?flag=openapi&contentno=188706 |script-title=ko:허준 許浚 (1539 ~ 1615)|trans-title=Heo Jun |publisher= [[Doosan Encyclopedia]] |language=Korean |accessdate=2009-09-18}}</ref>

== Biography ==

=== Childhood and youth ===
Heo Jun was born in 1539 in the [[Gangseo District, Seoul|Gangseo District]] of [[Seoul]]. He was a member of the Yangcheon Heo clan, a military family of some wealth. Because his mother was a concubine, he was classified as a chungin rather than a full member of the [[Yangban]] class, which limited his social standing and opportunities.<ref name=":1" />

At that time, chungin were regarded as technicians and officials below the Yangban in society. Heo may have chosen medicine because his birth status made a career as a civil or military officer unlikely. A popular folktale tells that he apprenticed with a healer after saving a child thought to be beyond help. When his mentor rebuked him for interfering with fate, Heo left the apprenticeship.

The story goes on to say that Heo later treated a sick princess in China. On his way there, he rescued an injured tiger. The grateful tiger gave him a whetstone, acupuncture needles, and a cloth said to restore life. When he reached the palace, he found the princess transformed into a snake below the waist. That night, his former teacher appeared in a dream to show him how to heal her.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Kwon |first=Hyuk Joon |date=2021-01-02 |title=Heo Jun: physician of the people |url=https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7850328/#cit0002 |journal=Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives |language=en |volume=11 |issue=1 |pages=53–55 |doi=10.1080/20009666.2020.1853316 |issn=2000-9666 |pmc=7850328 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250215114238/https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7850328/ |archive-date=2025-02-15}}</ref>

=== Career progression ===
At twenty nine, Heo Jun became a court physician. Three years later he began working at [[Naeuiwon]], the royal clinic, where his skill led to rapid advancement. In 1575 he treated [[Seonjo of Joseon|King Seonjo]] and in 1590 he was promoted after curing the Crown Prince of smallpox.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Heo Jun (허준) |url=https://m.cafe.daum.net/KOHEC/6xib/216?listURI=/KOHEC/6xib |access-date=2025-06-01 |website=m.cafe.daum.net |language=ko}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Kwon |first=Hyuk Joon |date=2021-01-26 |title=Heo Jun: physician of the people |url=https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7850328/ |journal=Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives |volume=11 |issue=1 |pages=53–55 |doi=10.1080/20009666.2020.1853316|pmc=7850328 }}</ref>

During the Japanese invasions of 1592 to 1598, Heo stayed with King Seonjo when many officials fled. His loyalty and another successful treatment of the Crown Prince earned him a senior second rank in 1596.

In 1600 he was named chief physician at Naeuiwon, the palace infirmary and pharmacy. The king asked him to write a medical book for ordinary people that would cover preventive care, drug formulas, and simple treatments. Scholars view this work as an early public health manual in Joseon Korea.

After King Seonjo’s death in 1608, Heo was accused of involvement in the king’s death and sent into exile in [[Ulju County|Ulju]]. The next year, [[Gwanghaegun of Joseon|King Gwanghaegun]] restored him to office. In 1610 he completed the twenty five volumes of ''[[Donguibogam]]'', a medical encyclopedia written over about fifteen years.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=International |first=Hektoen |title=Heo Jun: brilliant physician in 16th century Korea - Hektoen International |url=https://hekint.org/2017/01/29/heo-jun-brilliant-physician-in-16th-century-korea/ |access-date=2025-02-10 |website=hekint.org |language=en-US}}</ref> He taught new physicians at Naeuiwon until he died in 1615.

=== Post-death and legacy ===
Heo Jun’s writings influenced late Joseon court physicians and scholars. He combined Confucian, Taoist, and empirical methods and used Hangul to explain treatments so that commoners could understand.<ref name=":1" />

Although his chungin status limited his acceptance at court, after his death he was granted the Senior First Rank Officer title in recognition of his work.<ref name=":0" />

His life and methods are taught today in traditional Korean medicine programs at Kyung Hee University and Dongguk University.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Shim |first=Bum-Sang |last2=Koh |first2=Byung-Hee |last3=Ahn |first3=Kyoo-Seok |date=January 2004 |title=Education in Oriental Medicine in Kyung Hee University |url=https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC538521/#:~:text=The%20College%20of%20Oriental%20Medicine,%20Kyung%20Hee%20University%20is%20the,and%20'Dongyang%20Medical%20College'. |journal=Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine |language=en |volume=1 |issue=3 |pages=331–334 |doi=10.1093/ecam/neh050 |issn=1741-427X |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250308084154/https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC538521/ |archive-date=2025-03-08|pmc=538521}}</ref>

The Heo Jun Museum opened in Gangseo District of Seoul in 2005. It displays his original texts and Joseon era medical artifacts. Each year it holds a festival on his contributions to Korean medicine and culture.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Heo Jun Museum |url=https://english.visitseoul.net/attractions/Heo-Jun-Museum/ENP001403 |access-date=2025-06-24 |website=Visit Seoul}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Exhibition on Joseon-era medical system and Confucian physicians opens in Seoul |url=https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-03-24/culture/koreanHeritage/Exhibition-on-Joseonera-medical-system-and-Confucian-physicians-opens-in-Seoul/2268619 |access-date=2025-06-24 |website=Korea JoongAng Daily}}</ref>

== Contribution to medicine ==
He wrote several medical texts, but his most noted achievement is ''Donguibogam'' ("Mirror of Eastern Medicine"), which is considered a defining text of [[traditional Korean medicine]].{{according to whom|date=June 2025}}
This work spread throughout East Asian countries like [[China]], [[Japan]], and [[Vietnam]], where it is regarded as a classic of Oriental medicine.{{citation needed|date=June 2025}}

It is divided into five chapters: "Internal Medicine", "External Medicine", "Miscellaneous Diseases", "Remedies", and "Acupuncture". In "Internal Medicine", Heo describes the interdependence of the liver, lungs, kidney, heart, and spleen. "External Medicine" explains how the skin, muscles, blood vessels, tendons, and bones function. "Miscellaneous Diseases" describes the symptoms, diagnoses, and treatment methods for various ailments. Heo's remedies often rely on [[Medicinal plants|medicinal herbs]] and provide detailed instructions on extraction, maintenance, and consumption. The final chapter explains methods of [[acupuncture]]. In addition to providing medical knowledge, the text reflects the philosophy of seventeenth-century [[East Asia]].

As a royal physician, Heo Jun published 10 distinct books:

# ''Naeui Sunsaen An (The List of Royal Physicians'', 內醫先生案, 1605)<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Service (KOCIS) |first=Korean Culture and Information |title=What is the Dongui Bogam? : Korea.net : The official website of the Republic of Korea |url=https://www.korea.net/NewsFocus/Society/view?articleId=119136 |access-date=2025-03-12 |website=www.korea.net |language=en}}</ref>
# ''Unhae Taesan Jipyo (Compilation of the Essentials on Obstetrics with Korean Translations, 諺解胎産集要, 1607)<ref name=":2" />''
# ''Unhae Gugeupbang (Formulas for Emergencies with Korean Translations, 諺解救急方, 1608)<ref name=":2" />''
# ''Unhae Duchang Jipyo (Compilation of the Essentials on Smallpox with Korean Translations, 諺解痘瘡集要, 1608)<ref name=":2" />''
# ''Dongui Bogam (Treasured Mirror of Eastern Medicine, 東醫寶鑑, 1610)<ref name=":2" />''
# ''Chando Banglon Magkyul Jipseong (Compilation of Formulas, Doctrines, Pulse-taking, and Rhymes Redacted and Illustrated, 纂圖方論脈訣集成, 1612)<ref name=":2" />''
# ''Shinchan Byukonbang (Newly Compiled Formulas to Ward off Epidemics, 新纂辟瘟方, 1613)<ref name=":2" />''
# ''Byukyeok Shinbang (Divine Formulas to Ward off Epidemics, 辟疫神方, 1613)''<ref name=":2" />
# ''Napyak Jeungchi Bang (End-of-the Year Medicines, 臘藥症治方)''<ref name=":2" />
# ''Yukdae Uihak Sungshi (Names of Physicians Throughout History,'' 歷代醫學姓氏)<ref name=":2" />

These books were used in academic and administrative contexts within the palace, and by those studying medicine at the time.

Although Heo Jun worked extensively with the royal family, he emphasized making treatment methods accessible and comprehensible to common people. While common medical knowledge and most court physicians focused on the rarity and cost of ingredients, he advocated for the use of natural herb remedies that were easily attainable by commoners in [[Joseon|Korea]]. Furthermore, he wrote the names of the herbs using simple [[hangul]] letters instead of the more difficult [[hanja]] (Chinese characters), which most commoners did not understand.<ref>{{cite web|last=Han |first=Sang-hee |title=Mirror of Eastern Medicine Becomes UNESCO Heritage |url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2009/07/148_49413.html |work=[[The Korea Times]] |access-date=2013-03-20 |date=31 July 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213024119/http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2009/07/148_49413.html |archive-date=13 December 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Chung |first=Ah-young |title=Korean of Dongui Bogam Unveiled |url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2010/04/142_49756.html |work=[[The Korea Times]] |access-date=2013-03-20 |date=7 August 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213024047/http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2010/04/142_49756.html |archive-date=13 December 2013 }}</ref> ''Donguibogam'' was added to [[UNESCO]]'s Memory of the World Register in 2009.

== Family ==
* Grandfather
** Heo Gon ({{Korean|hangul=허곤|hanja=許琨|labels=no}}) ({{Korean|hangul=경상도우수사|labels=no}})
* Father
** Heo Ryun ({{Korean|hangul=허륜|labels=no}})
* Mother
** Lady Kim of the Yeonggwang Kim clan ({{Korean|hangul=영광 김씨|labels=no}})
* Brothers
** Older half-brother: Heo Ok ({{Korean|hangul=허옥|hanja=許沃|labels=no}})
** Younger half-brother: Heo Jing ({{Korean|hangul=허징|hanja=許徵|labels=no}}) (b. 1549)
* Wife
** Lady Kim of the Andong Kim clan ({{Korean|hangul=정경부인 안동 김씨|labels=no}})
* Son
** Heo Gyeom ({{Korean|hangul=허겸|hanja=許謙|labels=no}}) ({{Korean|hangul=파릉군|hanja=巴陵君|labels=no}})

==In popular culture==
===Film and television===
* Portrayed by [[Kim Mu-saeng]] in the 1975 [[Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation|MBC]] TV series ''{{ill|Jibnyeom|ko|집념 (드라마)}}''.
* Portrayed by [[Lee Soon-jae]] in the 1976 film ''{{ill|Jibnyeom|ko|집념 (영화)}}''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Concentration Of Attention (Jibnyeom; 1976) |url=http://www.kmdb.or.kr/eng/md_basic.asp?nation=K&p_dataid=03062 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130413143415/http://www.kmdb.or.kr/eng/md_basic.asp?nation=K&p_dataid=03062 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-04-13 |work=[[Korean Movie Database]] |accessdate=2013-03-20 }}</ref>
* Portrayed by [[Seo In-seok]] in the 1991 MBC TV series ''{{ill|Dongui Bogam|ko|동의보감 (드라마)}}''.
* Portrayed by [[Jun Kwang-ryul]] in the 1999–2000 MBC TV series ''[[Hur Jun (TV series)|Hur Jun]]''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Lee |first=Sang-min |title=Historical Drama and Future |url=http://webzine.kofice.or.kr/201302/eng/sub_01_01.asp |work=KOFICE WebZine |accessdate=2013-03-20 |date=February 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140324154551/http://webzine.kofice.or.kr/201302/eng/sub_01_01.asp |archivedate=2014-03-24 }}</ref>
* Portrayed by [[Kim Joo-hyuk]] and [[Kang Han-byeol]] in the 2013 MBC TV series ''[[Hur Jun, the Original Story]]''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Kang |first=Hyo-jin |title=Kim Joo Hyuk seeks to bring his new interpretation of Heo Jun in ''Gu Am Heo Jun'' |url=http://omg.yahoo.com/news/kim-joo-hyuk-seeks-to-bring-his-new-015900188.html |work=Korea Star Daily via [[Yahoo!]] |accessdate=2013-03-20 |date=6 March 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130801074712/http://omg.yahoo.com/news/kim-joo-hyuk-seeks-to-bring-his-new-015900188.html |archivedate= 1 August 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=''Hur Jun, the Original Story'' script reading of MBC's new drama series|url=http://content.mbc.co.kr/english/news/2183746_56318.html|work=MBC Global Media|accessdate=2013-03-20|date=7 March 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Oh|first=Jean|title=Period piece overload? Spring drama lineup goes heavy on historical settings|url=http://nwww.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20130313000887|work=[[The Korea Herald]]|accessdate=2013-03-20|date=13 March 2013|archive-date=2016-03-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303231248/http://nwww.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20130313000887|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=''Hur Jun, the Original Story'' Casts Interview|url=http://content.mbc.co.kr/english/interview/2203981_56322.html|work=MBC Global Media|accessdate=2014-06-13|date=9 April 2013}}</ref>
* Portrayed by [[Yoon Shi-yoon]] and [[Kim Kap-soo]] in the 2016 [[JTBC]] TV series ''[[Mirror of the Witch]]''.
* Portrayed by [[Um Hyo-sup]] in the 2017 [[tvN (South Korean TV channel)|tvN]] TV series ''[[Live Up to Your Name]]''.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Jeon |first1=Hyo-jin |title='명불허전' 엄효섭, 김아중 치료했다…김남길, 다시 조선行 |language=ko |trans-title='Myeongbulheojeon' Um Hyo-sup heals Kim Ah-joong... Kim Nam-gil travels back to Joseon again |url=https://sports.donga.com/article/all/20170917/86367699/2 |work=[[Sports Donga]] |date=17 September 2017 |access-date=1 April 2025}}</ref>

===Literature===
*The novel ''Dongui Bogam'' by Lee Eun-seong was published in 1990 and became a bestseller.

==See also==
*[[Heojun Museum]]
*''[[Dongui Bogam]]''
*[[UNESCO]]'s [[Memory of the World Programme]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}<ref name=":2" />
<ref name=":0" />

==External links==
{{DEFAULTSORT:Heo, Jun}}
[[Category:Ho Chun|Ho Chun]]
[[Category:1530s births]]
[[Category:1615 deaths]]
[[Category:16th-century Korean physicians]]
[[Category:16th-century Korean writers]]
[[Category:17th-century Korean physicians]]
[[Category:17th-century Korean writers]]
[[Category:Court physicians]]
[[Category:Yangcheon Heo clan]]
[[Category:Korean medical writers]]
[[Category:People from Seoul]]
[[Category:People of the Imjin War]]