courtesy name
A courtesy name ( zh, s=字, p=zì, l=character), also known as a style name, is an additional name bestowed upon individuals at adulthood, complementing their given name. This tradition is prevalent in the East Asian cultural sphere, particula ...
Yeojin (汝珍, 여진), was a royal
court physician
A court is an institution, often a government entity, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and administer justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance with the rule of law.
Courts genera ...
and politician of the Korean
Joseon
Joseon ( ; ; also romanized as ''Chosun''), officially Great Joseon (), was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom w ...
dynasty. He was a
smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by Variola virus (often called Smallpox virus), which belongs to the genus '' Orthopoxvirus''. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (W ...
specialist who successfully treated three Joseon kings.
In 1693, due to having cured
Sukjong Sukjong () is the temple name of several Korean kings. It can refer to:
* Sukjong of Goryeo (1095-1105)
* Sukjong of Joseon
Sukjong (; 7 October 1661 – 12 July 1720), personal name Yi Sun (), was the 19th monarch of the Joseon dynasty of Ko ...
's smallpox, he was granted a political office. Later he became the governor of
Seosan
Seosan (; ) is a city in South Chungcheong Province, South Korea, with a population of roughly 175,000 according to the 2017 census. Located at the northwestern end of South Chungcheong Province, it is bounded by Dangjin, Naepo New Town, Yesan- ...
,
Goyang
Goyang (; ) is a city in Gyeonggi Province in the north of South Korea. It is part of the Seoul Metropolitan Area, making Goyang one of Seoul's Satellite city, satellite cities. It is one of the largest cities in the Seoul Metropolitan Area, w ...
, Hapcheon and Saknyeong.
His experiences with smallpox are detailed in his book, ''Gogeum Gyeongheom Hwalyubang'' ().
Supernatural anecdotes featuring him and a divine being circulated due to his fame.
Family
He was a 23rd-generation descendant of the Munhwa Ryu clan. His father Yu Gyeongjib () served as an observation officer (觀察使, ''gwanchalsa''). His son Yu Jungrim () was also a medical practitioner who also wrote the agricultural text '' Jeungbo sallim gyeongje''.