Jang-Geum the Great | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jang-Geum c. 1474 Joseon Dynasty |
| Died | c. 1550 (aged 75–76) Joseon Dynasty |
| Nationality | Joseon (Korean) |
| Other names | Dae Jang Geum (Great Jang Geum) |
| Occupation | Physician |
| Years active | c.1513 - c.1550 |
| Known for | Being the first personal female doctor of a Korean king (Jungjong of Joseon) |
| Jang-geum | |
| Hangul | 장금 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 長今 |
| Revised Romanization | Jang-geum |
| McCune–Reischauer | Changgeum |
| Note that "Jang-geum" is only a given name | |
Jang-geum (fl. early 16th century) was reputedly the first female Royal Physician in Korean history. She was mentioned 10 times in the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty. It is known that King Jungjong was pleased with Jang-geum's medical knowledge and trusted her with taking care of the royal family. Henceforth, Jang-geum became the third highest-ranking officer in the Court, and was granted the use of Dae (Korean: 대; Hanja: 大; RR: Dae; MR: Tae) (which means "great" in Korean) before her first name.
Some sources attest to Jang-geum as a real person[1][2][3] and it is still a topic of debate among scholars.
Jang-Geum is considered an important person in Korean history, although there is little information about her. Since the king trusted her so much, people started to respect her and give her attention.
...only woman to serve as head physician to the King in the rigidly hierarchical and male-dominated social structure of the Joseon Dynasty.
Janggeum was a real person, mentioned in Joseon Dynasty annals who lived in Korea some 500 years ago.
When the producer Lee Byung Hoon was working on the historical drama "Heo Jun," he came across a noteworthy passage while searching the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty for information about Heo Jun (1539–1615), a Joseon court physician who attended the royal family. It was a statement by King Jungjong (r. 1506–1544) who declared: "No one knows my illnesses as well as Jang Geum."