Men of Medicine and Korean Medical Traditions of Jecheon

제천의 의학인물과 한의학전통

Jecheon is a place of Korean Medicine with many historical characters, medical tales and cultures. One of the most renowned characters is Lee Gong Gi(李公沂), a 扈聖功臣 (title given to the 86 people that escorted king Seonjo during the Japanese Invasion of Korea in 1592) at the level of Huh Jun(許浚) and famous royal physician of Joseon who served King Seonjo and reached the highest position of chief physician. He was recognized for his talent as a royal physician and was conferred with the title of 扈聖功臣 Rank 3 after attending on King Seonjo during the Japanese Invasion of Korea in 1592. Despite the fact that he was a renowned man of medicine, he didn't get as much attention as 許浚 or Yang Ye Soo(楊禮壽) because documents on his work had not been studied. In this study, the author was able to study Lee Gong Gi(李公沂) based on documents such as "朝鮮王朝實錄(True Record of the Joseon Dynasty)", "內醫院先生案(Naeeuiwonseonsengan)", "醫科先生案(Euigwaseonsengan)" and on "避難行錄(Pinanhengrok)" by Yakpo Jeongtak (1526~1605) who was a govemmental pharmacist at the time of Japanese Invasion of Korea in 1592. According to "內醫院先生案" and "醫科先生案", Lee Gong Gi's son Lee Young Nam followed his father's footsteps and became the chief royal pharmacist and 崇政大夫(one of the governmental titles of Joseon Dynasty). As for Jecheon's Korean medical traditions, many forms of medical tales and cultures are preserved such as the tales of Neokgogae, Mountain Ami's medical water cave, Otmaru and Seonsimgol. These tales are divided into various types of great doctors, medical herbs and devoted sons and have been passed down With the origin of traditional medicine still intact. Moreover, ancient documents and artifacts on Traditional Korean Medicine that reflect the area's medical culture have been discovered. Not only is Jecheon a place of medical culture but along with Jecheon Drug Market it also carries on the tradition of medical herbs production and possesses the largest new medical herbs market in Korea. In conclusion, Jecheon is a traditional place of Korean Medicine with many medical cultures and characters from a unique history.