보건복지부 영문홈페이지

「400^th Anniversary of the Publication of Donguibogam」selected as one of the anniversaries of which the celebration UNESCO will be associated with  

- Decided at the 36^th General Conference of UNESCO -

Ministry of Health and Welfare (Minister Rim, Chae Min) informed that the 400th anniversary of the publication of Donguibogam, which is 2013, has been chosen as one of the anniversaries of which the celebration UNESCO will be associated with at the 36th General Conference of UNESCO held in Paris, France on 31 Oct. (local time).

UNESCO has been selecting anniversaries concerning historically significant persons or events from its member states every two year starting from 2004 of which the celebration it will be associated with in order to highlight their global significance and it is the first time for a Korean anniversary to be designated as one of the anniversaries of which the celebration UNESCO will be associated with.    

The 400th anniversary of the publication of Donguibogam (literally meaning the “Treasured Mirror of Eastern Medicine” was selected for its significance to the evolution of oriental medicine and its relevance to UNESCO’s noble purpose of preserving cultural heritage as Donguibogam was earlier added to the Memory of the World Register by UNESO in July 2009.

This designation, allowing the use of an official UNESCO logo, is expected to help promote 2013 World Traditional Medicine Expo in Sancheong, Korea and gain the attention of the world to the event, which Ministry of Health and Welfare is planning to convene as part of comprehensive efforts it will make to strengthen global competitiveness and facilitate industrialization of the traditional Korean medicine, starting from the year of 2013, marking 400th anniversary of the publication of Donguibogam.  

Donguibogam is a encyclopedic medical book that put traditional Korean medicine and East Asian medicine together published by a royal physician, Heo Joon (1539~1615) during the reign of King Seonjo of the Chosun Dynasty. 

It suggests a wide variety of medical information and practices, ranging from causes and diagnosis of diseases to preion drugs and acupuncture treatments and has greatly contributed to the growth of traditional Asian medicine including Chinese and Japanese medicines by spreading the concept of preventive medicine that focuses on holistic caring of fundamental conditions of body and soul.       

Donguibogam was added to the Memory of the World Register for its wide influence on and application to today’s medicine in the region.