Jang Geum (fl. early 16th century) is the reputed only female Royal Physician in Korean history. She was mentioned about seven times in the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, albeit with very vague and sketchy details. It is known, however, that King Jungjong was pleased with Jang Geum's medical knowledge and trusted her with taking care of royal family members. Henceforth, Jang Geum was made a third-ranked officer in the Court, and was granted the use of Dae (which means "great" in Korean) before her first names. Jamo redirects here. ... Hanja is the Korean name for Chinese characters. ... The Revised Romanization of Korean is the official Korean language romanization system in South Korea. ... McCune-Reischauer romanization is one of the two most widely used Korean language romanization systems, along with the Revised Romanization of Korean, which replaced (a modified) McCune-Reischauer as the official romanization system in South Korea in 2000. ... This article is about the history of Korea. ... The Annals of the Joseon Dynasty documented the official imperial history of Korea after the Goryeo Dynasty and before the Republican era, and was subsequently made public and circulated amongst the scholars of the time. ... Jungjong of Joseon (중종) (1488–1544, r. ...

Scholars still argue to this day whether Jang Geum is a real person or just a generic name for certain people, whose origins are lost in history. If Jang Geum is a real person, it is worth noting that ever since her tenure ended, no Korean leaders has ever had a personal female physician, even to this day.

Mentions in Annals of the Joseon Dynasty

Mentions of Jang Geum, or a "female doctor", happened on these occasions:

• March-April of 1515, when Jungjong's second wife died as a result of complications from childbirth. Imperial court officers were persuading the king to punish all medical women who treated the king's wife (that includes Jang Geum) severely. King Jungjong refuses, saying that:
  • "Jang Geum deserves a big credit for her role in the safe childbirth of palace ladies, but I have never awarded her for her actions until now, because of other affairs. Now you (the court officers) are telling me to punish her because the Queen is dead, but I won't do that as well as I won't reward her. That's enough."

• 1524, when The Annals noted that:
  • "Dae Jang Geum was better than any other medical women in the Palace. As a result, she was permitted to look after the King"

• 1533, when The Annals quoted a comment by the King on his health:
  • "I have recovered from several month's sickness. The Royal Doctors and Pharmacists deserve praise. Jang-geum and Kye-geum, the two medical women, also will be rewarded with 15 rice bags, 15 bean sacks, and 10 cloths, respectively."

• January 29, 1544, when The Annals quoted an order issued by the King:
  • "I haven't executed my duties for a long time since I caught a cold. A few days ago, I attended an academic seminar (to discuss philosophies), but the cold weather made my condition worse. I already told Bak Se-geo and Hong Chim, the royal doctors, and top medical woman Dae Jang-geum to discuss about the prescription. Let the Medical Minister know that."

• February 9, 1544, when The Annals said the King praised Dae Jang Geum for his recovery from a cold.

• October 25, 1544, when The Annals recorded a conversation between an Imperial Minister and Jang Geum on the King's health, which is rapidly deteriorating. Jang Geum was quoted for saying this:
  • "He (the King) slept around midnight yesterday, and has also slept for a short time at dawn. He just passed his urine, but has been constipated for more than 3 days."

• October 26, 1544, when The Annals quoted this from the King:
  • I'm still constipated. What prescription should be made is under discussion. The female doctor (Dae Jang Geum) knows all about my condition." Later, Jang-geum explained her prescription for the king's symptoms to the ministers.

• October 29, 1544, when The Annals reported that the King has recovered and he granted all his medical officers a holiday. (The King eventually died 17 days later, on November 15, 1544.)

The entry on October 29, 1544 was the last entry regarding Jang Geum. 1515 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Events March 1, 1524/5 - Giovanni da Verrazano lands near Cape Fear (approx. ... Events January 25 - King Henry VIII of England marries Anne Boleyn, his second Queen consort. ... January 29 is the 29th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events April 11 - Battle of Ceresole - French forces under the Comte dEnghien defeat Imperial forces under the Marques Del Vasto near Turin. ... February 9 is the 40th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events April 11 - Battle of Ceresole - French forces under the Comte dEnghien defeat Imperial forces under the Marques Del Vasto near Turin. ... October 25 is the 298th day of the year (299th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events April 11 - Battle of Ceresole - French forces under the Comte dEnghien defeat Imperial forces under the Marques Del Vasto near Turin. ... October 26 is the 299th day of the year (300th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 66 days remaining. ... Events April 11 - Battle of Ceresole - French forces under the Comte dEnghien defeat Imperial forces under the Marques Del Vasto near Turin. ... October 29 is the 302nd day of the year (303rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events April 11 - Battle of Ceresole - French forces under the Comte dEnghien defeat Imperial forces under the Marques Del Vasto near Turin. ... November 15 is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events April 11 - Battle of Ceresole - French forces under the Comte dEnghien defeat Imperial forces under the Marques Del Vasto near Turin. ... October 29 is the 302nd day of the year (303rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events April 11 - Battle of Ceresole - French forces under the Comte dEnghien defeat Imperial forces under the Marques Del Vasto near Turin. ...

Mention in Other Medical Annals

Jang Geum was also mentioned in the "Rhee's Korea (another name for Joseon Korea) Medical Officer's Journal". The following was a text regarding Jang Geum's origins and achievements, as recorded in the medical journal.

"Medical Lady Jang Geum, whose origins cannot be traced, received the right to be called 'Dae Jang Geum" under an edict issued by the 11th Emperor of Korea, Jungjong, in the 18th year of his reign. At that time, there was no precedent of a Medical Lady treating the Emperor, but the Emperor trusted in Jang Geum's method of treating illness with food. Jang Geum, with the granting of the right to use "Dae" in her name, is certainly an epic lady whose name will be recorded in the history books."

Portrayal in Television

Lee Young Ae as Jang Geum, in the Korean drama series Dae Jang Geum.

Jang Geum was portrayed in the popular Korean drama series Dae Jang Geum. The main role was played by Lee Young Ae. The show was critically well-received and was an incredibly successful ratings success in many Asian countries. However, the portrayal of Jang Geum in this series is considered to be fictionalized because Jang Geum was portrayed as a Palace Chef-turned-Medical Lady. This is mainly because of the vague details on Jang-Geum's Life. Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Dae Jang Geum, sometimes known as The Great Jang Geum, or Jewel In The Palace, is a 2003 TV series produced by South Korean TV channel MBC. Based loosely on the historical figure depicted in the Annals of Joseon Dynasty, the show focuses on Jang-geum (played by Lee Young... Dae Jang Geum, sometimes known as The Great Jang Geum, or Jewel In The Palace, is a 2003 TV series produced by South Korean TV channel MBC. Based loosely on the historical figure depicted in the Annals of Joseon Dynasty, the show focuses on Jang-geum (played by Lee Young... Lee Young-Ae (born January 31, 1971 in Seoul) is a famous South Korean actress who has a great fan base in numerous countries, particularly in the East and Southeast Asian countries which have been hit by the Korean Wave. ...

See also

• Joseon Dynasty
• List of Korea-related topics
• List of Koreans