Three sets of a medieval South Korean medical book series listed on UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register were designated national treasures, the government said Monday.
“Donguibogam” compiled and edited by Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) physician Heo Jun, is an encyclopedia of medical knowledge and treatment techniques in East Asia.
The Cultural Heritage Administration said the three sets of the encyclopedia’s first edition printed in 1613 were promoted to be national treasures from a lower-level status. They had since been preserved at three different mountain archives during the Joseon era.
It said the copies’ rarity makes them important in studying the nation’s medical history and the book’s international status as a UNESCO world heritage item also affected the decision.
The series was inscribed on UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register in 2009, becoming the only medical text to be acknowledged.
The encyclopedia outlines treatments for various sicknesses and is considered a precursor to the establishment of a state-led preventive medicine and public health care system in the 19th century. (Yonhap)
