Career
He was appointed as a court physician at the age of 29. The work spread to East Asian countries like China, Japan, and Vietnam where it is still regarded as one of the classics of Oriental medicine today. Although Heo June worked extensively with the royal family, he put a great emphasis on making treatment methods accessible and comprehensible to common people.
He found natural herb remedies that were easily attainable by commoners in of Korea.
Furthermore, he wrote the names of the herbs using the simple hangul letters instead of using more difficult hanja (Chinese characters), which most commoners did not understand. Korean people still refer to Heo June"s natural remedies found in his Dongui Bogam.
Portrayed by Kim Mu-saeng in 1975 MBC television series Jibnyeom ("Tenacity"). Portrayed by Lee Soon-jae in 1976 film Jibnyeom ("Concentration of Attention").
The novel Dongui Bogam by Lee Eun-seong was published in 1990, and became a bestseller.
Portrayed by Seo In-seok in 1991 MBC television series Dongui Bogam ("The Wonders of Eastern Medicine"). Portrayed by June Kwang-ryul in 1999-2000 MBC television series Hur June, which reached record-breaking viewership ratings of 64%. In the series, Heo June was a youngster who worked as a helper with no relevant tasks, until he was mentored by Yoo Ui-tae, a doctor who taught him medicine and inspired him to become a doctor for and of the people.
In reality, Yoo Ui-tae was younger than Heo June by about 100 years.
Portrayed by Kim Joo-hyuk in 2013 MBC daily television series Hur June, the Original Story (in Korean, Guam Heo June). Kim"s late father Kim Mu-saeng had previously played Heo June in 1975.