Jo Mar 13, 2023

Sol Kyong Song (1237-1313), a doctor in Koryo, learnt medicine from his early age. When he became a doctor, he put his heart and soul into treatment and medical research.

He was well known at home and abroad as he was well versed in Koryo’s advanced clinical medicine of that time and excellent at treatment.

In 1285, he was invited to a neighbouring country to cure the king of the country from the disease that was accepted as incurable by many doctors invited there, thus showing the high standard of medical development of Koryo. After that, he was invited to the country several times more and demonstrated his excellent medical art.

Although he was in a favour with the King, Sol Kyong Song never wanted him to bestow any special benefits upon himself and what is more, he was indifferent to the living of his family. Instead, he devoted his all to treatment of patients and medical research to the last minute of his life.

Along with Ri Sang Ro, who lived in the second half of the twelfth century, Sol Kyong Song was known as one of the two great doctors of Koryo.

Sin Kwang Il, researcher at the Academy of Social Sciences