Esther Park, First Female Medical Doctor in Korea

Kim Jeom-dong (Esther Park), 1879-1910, Paving the Way for Women

Today, it is natural to see a doctor when we are sick, like when we catch a cold. Until 100 years ago, however, when Western medicine was first introduced to Korea, Western doctors were considered scary people who wielded injection needles and knives. 

For women, the situation was even worse. Women patients could hardly let male doctors feel their pulse for diagnosis, and they would never show the ailing parts of their body due to a strict separation of the sexes fixed in Confucian orthodoxy. When women fell sick, they would simply perform shamanic exorcism several times, only to die. 

In those days, there was a medical doctor who was devoted to women patients. Her name was Kim Jeom-dong, the first female practitioner of Western medicine in Korea. 

Ewha Student Kim Jeom-dong Dreams of Becoming a Doctor 

Born in 1879 in Jeong-dong, Seoul, Kim Jeom-dong entered Ewha School, the first modern educational institution for Korean women, in November 1886. 

She was the youngest of four daughters in a poor family. But she became the fourth student at the school, thanks to her father who had been exposed to Western ideas earlier while working for American missionary Henry Gerhard Appenzeller. In school, she quickly mastered various subjects, including the Korean [English?] language, arithmetic, the Bible and Chinese classics. 

Kim was particularly good at English. Her outstanding language skills led to an encounter with Rosetta Sherwood Hall, an American doctor who came to Korea for medical service missions. Mary Fletcher Benton Scranton, then-principal of Ewha School, introduced Kim to Hall as an interpreter so Hall could better communicate with Korean people while engaging in medical activities. That was how Kim was first exposed to Western medicine. At first, she wasn’t interested in medical work very much and only carried out her duties faithfully as an interpreter. But her life completely changed after she witnessed Hall successfully performing an operation on a patient with a harelip, leaving no scars at all. 

At the time, harelip was known as an incurable disease. But the surgery changed the life of a girl who would otherwise live uncomfortably for her entire lifetime. Deeply impressed, Kim made up her mind to learn medicine and help people suffering from diseases. 

From Kim Jeom-dong to Esther Park 

Hall welcomed Kim’s decision. She helped her study medicine and also introduced a man to her. He was Park Yu-san, a Korean man who helped Hall’s husband with his missionary work and medical activities. The missionary couple arranged a marriage between Kim and Park, and they held Korea’s first Western-style wedding ceremony in a church in 1893. 

From then on, Kim began to call herself Esther Park, after her Christian name and her husband’s surname. The following year, Esther and her husband left for the U.S. to study, following Rosetta Sherwood Hall who was returning home after her husband died. Esther stood out in high school in the U.S. and became the youngest student to enter Baltimore Women’s Medical College.

Her husband, who recognized her talent and hoped that she would become a doctor, supported her while working at a farm in New York. Unfortunately, he did not survive to see his wife become a doctor, as he died of tuberculosis in the U.S., six months before Esther graduated from college. 

In Esther Park's time treatments of illnesses were often based on superstition rather than scientific fact.

Fighting God, Fighting Diseases 

Esther earned her M.D. in June 1900, becoming the first Korean woman to receive a degree in Western medicine. Remembering her husband’s last wish that she should become a doctor, she returned to Korea and began to work at Bogu Yeogwan, the forerunner of today’s Ewha Womans University Medical Center, Korea’s first hospital for women, located near Dongdaemun. The hospital was named by King Gojong. For the first ten months, she took care of some 3,000 patients. 

Female doctor Esther Park was the only hope for women patients who couldn’t get proper treatment, as they weren’t allowed to show their bodies to male doctors. She went everywhere in the country, as long as there were women patients waiting for her. She moved to Pyongyang in 1901 when Rosetta Sherwood Hall came back to Korea and established a hospital there. Esther traveled across Hwanghae and Pyongan Provinces to offer free medical services to women who couldn’t benefit from medical care due to their remoteness. In recognition of her service, King Gojong presented a silver medal to her. 

While she was enthusiastic about her medical volunteer work, one thing was missing in her life. She was so busy looking after patients that she didn’t take care of herself very well. She died of tuberculosis, just like her husband, in 1910 at the age of 33. 

Esther Park was like a ray of sunshine in those days when there wasn’t any female medical staff whatsoever. At the time, it was hard for women even to attend school. But Esther went to the U.S. to study and after returning home, she devoted her life to medical services and social work. It would be fair to say she is called the female Schweitzer of Korea. Her spirit and achievements were reevaluated by the later generations, and she was inscribed at the Korea Science and Technology Hall of Fame in 2006.

The Esther Park Award was established in 2008 by the alumnae committee of Ewha School of Medicine to commemorate Park’s achievements and award Ewha alumnae who carry on the legacy of Park as women doctors and scientists. 

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References:

• PowerPoint slides by Min Seong Jin, student at Korea University 

• Article by KBS World Radio - "Kim Jeom-dong, the First Female Medical Doctor in Korea"

• Article by Katelynjun@ehwain.net, Ehwa Voice, in her online article "First Korean Female Doctor and Scientist, Esther Park"

Sujok: Fist/Foot Accupressure Therapy

Fingers Can Reveal Your Health – Sujok Therapy for Preventing Certain Diseases

Posted by Ivan Andreevski on January 23, 2015 Fingers Can Reveal Your Health – Prevent Certain Diseases Just in Time with Su-Jok Therapy 2015-01-24 19:14:41 under General, Health, Healthy & Natural Life, Recipes

When the modern era came it changed many things, and one of them is the approach to human’s body and health. So, we are no longer able to notice the early signs of a certain disease anymore.

The only thing we can do is visit our doctor, do the lab test and wait for the diagnosis. But, since ancient times Ayurvedic medicine nurtured a holistic approach to body and health. According to the Ayurvedic medicine, our body is a complete system that has many different methods to warn and defend us from different diseases, especially severe ones that occur when we ignore all previous warnings. 

Every single human being has the ability to come to some conclusions by listening to their bodies. Simple examples are, when we can notice the smell of gases, urine, sweat and faeces we release and which leads us to the conclusion that our bodies are overloaded with toxins. These natural things can be felt and sensed by every human being.

In order for us to start with the application, there are alternative methods of treatment and diagnosis that do not require much knowledge. Su Jok (Su Jok – Korean: fist + foot) acupressure is one of them. Similar to Ayurvedic medicine or traditional Chinese acupuncture, this method is based on learning about the meridians of energy, connected with our bodies.

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The YouTube link "Full Treatment with Sujok and Therapy" (10:28) gives a pretty good idea how sujok is used for diagnostic as well as healing purposes.

Unification Could Bring Health Crisis to Korea

I hear so little talk of reunification so when I saw this article posted in the Korea University Hospital, I was a little taken aback. Wow, proof that there is some preparation for a united North and South Korea again. Preparation on a medical level ... very interesting.

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Unification Could Bring Health Crisis to Korea

(THE KOREA TIMEs, Apr 4, 2017)

by Jung Min-ho, Kim Eil-chul 

Imagine hundreds of thousands of North Korean refugees are crossing the border into South Korea after their regime suddenly collapses. What would be the most urgent issue for the unified Korea?

Surveys show that most South Koreans believe the cost of unification is the biggest concern. However, according to Kim Young-hoon, former president of Korea University Anam Hospital, money may just be a secondary issue.

"President Park Geun-hye said unification would bring a bonanza, but it could instead bring a health crisis, if we are unprepared," Kim said. "Unification could bring along many lethal, infectious diseases that we are not ready to cope with. The worst part is that we know very little about such risks."

Some health risks are obvious, he said. For example, North Korea has about 110,000 tuberculosis (TB) patients, 5,000 of whom died in 2014 alone, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

"More worryingly, many of TB cases in North Korea are multi-drug resistant. This means we don't have any way to cure the highly contagious infection," Kim said.

Even today, South Korea, the fourth-largest economy in Asia, is struggling with its own fight against TB. According to the WHO, the country has the highest TB incidence rate among members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

"So if you think that South Korea is capable of coping effectively with a huge influx of TB patients from the North, you may be mistaken," Kim said. "Look at how one patient infected with the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome last year shook the entire nation."

"And TB is just one of the many health risk factors of unification."

The health risks of unification may be even bigger for North Koreans, who have lived behind the walls of the world's most isolated state for more than 60 years. Most of them may not be immune to the diseases that would not affect people in the rest of the world. "For now, we just don't know much," he said.

/Courtesy of Korea University Anam Hospital

The poor overall health status of North Koreans may also bring down that of South Koreans altogether after unification. According to a report published in 2014 by the state-run Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, the average lifespan of North Koreans is 69.5 years, much shorter than the 81 years for South Koreans. In terms of medical standards, experts believe the rich South is 30 to 50 years ahead of the impoverished North.

During his 2014-2015 term at Korea University Anam Hospital, Kim thought the health risks of unification are a serious issue to be addressed. Thus, he created a graduate program to study the health and medical implications of Korean unification, making Korea University the first college to have such a program in Korea. The program will launch in September.

"Some of the program lectures will be open to the public, and I also plan to financially support students in the program as much as possible," he said.

He also created the Inter-Korea Foundation for Health and Medical Education last year under the Ministry of Unification, which will support professors and students in the program.

The foundation has already begun to review medical journals and data from North Korea in an attempt to understand the diagnosis and treatment of different kinds of diseases there in comparison with South Korea. "We are trying to find out, for example, what types of cardiac disorders are common in the state and how they are treated with very limited resources," Kim said.

The foundation will also collaborate with experts to study the health of North Korean refugees in South Korea.

"The foundation and experts are documenting the health status and determinants of North Korean refugees. By doing so, they can try to understand how their health status changes as they adapt to the Westernized lifestyle of South Korea," he said.

Through a cohort study involving about 1,000 North Koreans, researchers at the foundation have already produced some meaningful results. For instance, he noted, the researchers found that North Koreans have a higher risk of developing diabetes, as they will take in much more nutrition when they settle in the South.

One of the courses of the program aims to unify the medical terms of the two states. Many terms used in the North are Korean and Russian, while those used in the South are mainly English.

"Many South Korean organizations have tried to improve the health of North Koreans by giving them medical devices and drugs, but there has been no solid system that can be helpful in the long term," Kim said.

"Not just as preparation for unification. I also hope that our effort can contribute to bringing the two sides closer on their way to the ultimate unification."

Kim Young-hoon, who served as the president of Korea University Anam Hospital, now leads the Arrhythmia Center at the hospital. He is one of the most renowned arrhythmia experts in the country.
/Courtesy of Korea University Anam Hospital

Fixing hearts that have lost their rhythm

Arrhythmia is a condition in which the heart beats either too fast, too slow, too early or irregularly. It occurs when the electrical impulses to the heart that coordinate heartbeats are not working properly.

Arrhythmia is the cause of most sudden cardiac deaths. Atrial fibrillation, which can lead to blood clots, stroke, heart failure and other heart-related complications, is the most common type of arrhythmia.

Arrhythmia affects millions of people worldwide, including about 2 to 3 percent of the total population of Europe and North America, and according to the Korean Society of Cardiology, 800,000 to 1 million in Korea as well.

Kim, who now leads the Arrhythmia Center at Korea University Anam Hospital, is one of the most renowned arrhythmia experts in the country.

In 1998, when atrial fibrillation was largely considered impossible to treat, Kim implemented radio frequency catheter ablation, a minimally invasive procedure, in which thin wires called catheters are inserted into a vein to destroy the heart tissues that signal abnormal electrical impulses.

Since then, he has successfully performed the procedure on more than 2,500 patients, dispelling initial concerns about the method's efficacy and safety. Kim said none of his patients has died as a result of the procedure.

"About 95 percent of atrial fibrillation cases can be cured completely with the procedure," he said. "After that, patients just have to take medications."

Having published more than 140 articles about arrhythmia in reputable journals in Korea and abroad, Kim has become well-respected among many experts in the field.

Dailian University in China is one of the many institutions that have asked him to share his know-how about arrhythmia treatment, especially about radio frequency catheter ablation. In 2012, he agreed to do so at the school for five years. Some doctors from Japan, Hong Kong and Indonesia have also visited his hospital in Korea to learn from him.

His research team is now working to develop better ways to treat arrhythmia, in cooperation with experts at world-renowned medical institutions, including Harvard Medical School.

Remembering Rosetta Sherwood Hall

The alumnus of Korea University College of Medicine expressed his affection for his school during the interview, saying his last goal is to revive the spirit of Rosetta Sherwood Hall, an American medical missionary who established the Joseon Women's Medical Training Institute, the predecessor of the medical college, in 1928.

"About a hundred years ago, she risked her life to come here to deliver one message: the importance of helping those in need. I think everyone here needs to take that message seriously and act accordingly. When we do, I have no doubt that the school will change in remarkable ways," Kim said.

Donguibogam Village: Gi Energy Rocks

The Donguibogam Village in Sancheong, Gyeongsangnam-do, was built in 2013 after the Donguibogam, the old 25-volume compilation of health and medical treatment, was recognized by UNESCO in 2009. The layout of the very wide "village" is divided into areas -- a kiddy area, a health and healing area, and a tiny village accommodation area with healing facilities like steam bath. 

Near the entrance to the complex. The turtle is a symbol of longevity in Korea, and a golden turtle (modern concept I think) symbolizes great wealth, value, preciousness.

A massive copy of the Donguibogam (published Western-book-style) at the entrance to the extensive grounds.

Because the Donguibogam is recognized by UNESCO, suddenly the value of the text skyrocketed! 

If I were to have a favorite person in history, it would be the court physician Heo Jun (1539-1615) who was in charge of compiling the Donguibogam, literally "Mirror of Eastern Medicine". Between the first and second Japanese invasions of the late 1500s, Heo Jun was appointed as writer of the text to guide people on the principles of health prevention and intervention, and for the next 14 years he labored on the compilation, which was finally completed in 1610 and published in 1613.

"Basking in Samseok (Three Rock) Energy"

I'm fascinated with the physician Heo Jun, and even visited the museum in Seoul dedicated to him, but actually the big attraction in visiting the Donguibogam Village was because I saw a picture of the turtle rock, the second of three rocks that are said to transmit energy to those who petition the rock(s). The turtle rock reminded me of the petroglyphs of Ulsan so I ardently wanted to come, see and learn about it, not realizing that it was (1) one of three powerful rocks for conveying energy, but (2) it is ultra modern and therefore not steeped in old tradition and gi powers.

The sign beside the "turtle rock" or Gwigamseok gave a light translation of the purpose for the gi-giving rocks -- see quotes below.

First rock: Restoring Health Seok Gyeong (Stone Mirror)

"Seok Gyeong (Stone Mirror) allows one to look directly into one's being. That is why it is believed that looking into the stone mirror takes away negative energy and restores a sense of balance. For instance, the culture and tour guide of Sancheong-gun said his sore back began to feel better when he started to visit Seok Gyeong frequently for his work. So why not pay a visit to Seok Gyeong, whether for a cure or for relaxation?"

A very impressive stone!

To gain gi-benefits from this rock, a person must stand in the recessed area and press hands flat and forehead against symbols or a stone. Technically, looking to the side breaks the flow of energy ... ...

More information and testimony about the rock.

Second rock: The Stone of Guigam aka the Stone Engraved with Virtuous Letters

"On May 2009, the Korea Tourism Organization organized a visit to Sancheong to take in the positive energy emanating from the Samseok (Three Stones) erected in Donguibogam Village. KTO President Lee also went along as a guest. Back then Lee had no connections with the organization but not for long -- he was recommended as president soon afterwards. Hundreds will testify that the rock's energy helped them get a new job, pass a test, or fulfill whatever wish they had made. In fact, many people visit the rock, either to make a wish or to express their thanks. [Lee Charm, President of the Korean Tourism Organization et al, (Gwigamseok, Stone Engraved with Virtuous Letters)]"

Gi is the life-force and the energy of vitality. In the central part of the Gwigamseok,
gi is believed to gather at the central hole and surge out.

To press one's whole body against the gi-giving stone is to absorb more of the energy emanating from the rock.

These ladies, after standing with their bodies and hands pressed against the rock for a few minutes, busily checked their energy level by making circulation circles with their middle fingers and thumbs while the friend would try to break the middle-finger-thumb connection. The ladies seemed quite proud that they had more strength after pressing themselves against the rock.

Even a little girl had a go at getting energy, after watching her elders make petitions against the rock.

Third rock: Overcoming Infertility with Positivity (Bokseokjeong, a Dish for Happiness)

"A lot of the stories involving Samseok's miracles involve blessings of childbirth. There was a civil servant working in Busan who had had no children in seven years of marriage. However, just one week after he was dispatched to Sancheong to prepare the World Traditional Medicine Fair and Festival, his wife was found to be with child. Another woman who had been infertile for ten years had a child after visiting the Samseok (Seokgyeong, Gwigamseok, and Bokseokjeong). There are many other such cases that attest to the vital energy surrounding those rocks."

Samseok: Real or Pseudo-science?

So after I posted pictures on the Samseok in the Donguibogam Village on Facebook, a brilliant friend and Korean history scholar Jihoon Suk hit my blog and called the village a pseudo-scientific hall of fame. His exact quote: 

"For me, the whole 동의보감촌 complex is nothing more than a massive pseudo-scientific hall of fame - but just a stroll of the place is at least pleasureable enough - placebo or not... 

There is no history in this complex. The entire complex was built out of a thin air in 2010 after the tremendously popular MBC TV drama, "허준", transformed the 산청군 area into a holy site of the so-called "Korean traditional medicine". Naturally, everything you see in this complex is less than 7 years old.

This particular stone [Seok Gyeong, stone mirror], probably one of the inspirations of this modern sculpture, is just a modern creation - the design is based on Korean bronze age mirrors found in archeological dig but added more modern elements...."

Korean bronze age mirror

I felt gypped after reading Jihoon's comments and said I went to the village mostly to see the Gwigamseok, which I thought was one of the most authentic parts of the complex. Jihoon's immediate response was:

"Unfortunately not [the most authentic part of the complex]. And looks like 동의보감촌 people don't say a word about its true origin to the visitors. Not many people would give a try to these "medicinal" stones if they know these things are less than 10 year old!"

I asked what clued him in about their lack of authenticity, and Jihoon replied, "I don't want to brag about myself but I do know about practically every cultural heritage sites in this country by heart, and I never have heard about this place before. The whole thing certainly wasn't there when I made a visit to the area in 2008."

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For those interested in pursuing the pseudo-science complex (even if there's no gi in them, the stones really are quite impressive!)

Set out on a Healing tour to the Donguibogam Village - (the only web site you need b/c everything is linked from here!) - http://korea.stripes.com/travel/set-out-healing-tour-donguibogam-village