Jang Geum
| Jang Geum | |
|---|---|
| Born | 15th century CE Joseon (Korea) |
| Died | 16th century CE Joseon (Korea) |
| Nationality | Joseon (Korean) |
| Other names | Dae Jang Geum (Great Jang Geum) |
| Occupation | Physician |
| 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; her family name is Seo. | |
Jang Geum (fl. early 16th century; family name Seo) was reputedly the first female Royal Physician in Korean history. She was mentioned more than seven 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 royal family members. Henceforth, Jang Geum became the third highest-ranking officer in the Court, and was granted the use of Dae (Hangul: 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 and it is still a topic of debate among scholars.
Mentions of Jang Geum, or a "female doctor", happened on these occasions:
The entry on October 29, 1544 was the last entry regarding Jang Geum.
Jang Geum was also mentioned in a book title "Yi dynasty 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 King of Korea, Jungjong, in the 18th year of his reign [1524-1525]. At that time, there was no precedent of a Medical Lady treating a King, 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."
Jang Geum was portrayed in the popular Korean drama series Dae Jang Geum (also known as Jewel in the Palace) by Jo Jung-eun and Lee Young-ae. The show was critically well received and was an incredible 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.
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