The Formation and Development of Joseon’s Indigenous Onyeokhak: From the Perspective of Sino-Korean Medical Exchange

Abstract This study examines the development of Onyeokhak (瘟疫学 epidemic medicine), Joseon Korea’s institutionalized, state-led model of epidemic medicine, and evaluates its unique position within the East Asian medical tradition. By analyzing foundational texts such as Donguibogam (「東醫寶鑑」 Mirror of Eastern Medicine ), Gani Byeokonbang (「簡易辟瘟方」 Mirror of Eastern Medicine ) and Byeokyeok Sinbang (「辟疫神方」 Divine Prescriptions for Preventing Epidemics ), this research compares Joseon’s administrative and practical frameworks with the scholar-driven, theoretical evolution of Wen Bing (温病 warm disease) studies in China. Unlike the Chinese trajectory, where paradigms shifted through academic contestation, Joseon’s Onyeokhak was forged by government-mandated public health policies. This resulted in simplified and utilitarian manuals that prioritized vernacular accessibility and symptom-centered clinical protocols rather than abstract theoretical depth. The findings reveal that while Onyeokhak originated from bureaucratic necessity, it evolved into a dynamic system through context-sensitive adaptations, such as the exclusion of irrelevant endemic diseases and the implementation of stepwise clinical decision-making procedures. This study highlights the historical diversity of East Asian medicine and proposes that Joseon’s pragmatic, state-centered strategies offer valuable heuristics for modern emergency public health preparedness and risk communication.