Oriental healer is appointed to Blue House

The scent of oriental medicine ― a soothing, bittersweet blend of ginseng, angelica gigas and ginger ― wafts in the warm spring sun over the plaza in front of Kyung-hee University Hospital of Oriental Medicine in Hoegi-dong, eastern Seoul.
Patients throng the corridor inside, as Professor Shin Hyun-dae, 56, travels swiftly in and out of rooms, giving acupuncture treatments. It must be nice to be in demand; nicer when the president taps you to tend to the presidential family.
“It is an honor, and at the same time, quite a responsibility,” Dr. Shin said. “I am worried whether my treatment will be satisfactory to the president.”
Dr. Shin is the first oriental-medicine specialist to be officially named physician to the Blue House. He spoke yesterday in an interview with the Joongang Daily. The former chief of the Hospital of Oriental Medicine, he is a third-generation oriental doctor. His wife also practices oriental medicine.
Of the eight branches of oriental medicine, Dr. Shin specializes in rehabilitation and obesity. Asked if President Roh Moo-hyun’s disk problems influenced his selection over other practitioners, the professor said, “The decision is the president’s, but that may have had something to do with it.” A disk problem that required surgery in January had the president donning traditional Korean hanbok garb for several weeks.
The fact that Kyunghee University’s hospital is one of the few large oriental-medicine hospitals that work complementarily with Western medicine, would have helped, too. There is also a Blue House doctor of Western medicine, Song In-sung, 57, professor of internal medicine at Seoul National University.
Dr. Shin suggested that his selection boosts the prestige of oriental-medicine practitioners. “Western medicine is chemical, and equipment-based,” he said. “Oriental medicine is natural, and Korean traditional medicine is a medicine of physical constitution. It is in a sense a study of humans.
“The most Korean things are most global,” Dr. Shin continued. “Korean traditional medicine, some 600 years old, is a medicine that befits the Korean DNA. But it is also a medicine that tends to the Korean psyche.”
Korean traditional medicine bases its foundations on traditional Chinese medicine. But in 1894, Lee Je-ma developed a theory classifying people into four types that require different treatments.
Known as “Sasang constitutional medicine,” it is based on the internal organs, outward physical makeup and mentality. Study of the viscera and bowels, mind, physical figure and disease symptoms determine whether one is Taeyangin, Taeeumin, Soyangin or Soeumin.
The Taeyangin is characterized by large lungs and a small liver; this person is masculine and driving, and usually has a developed neck and slender waist.
The Taeeumin has a large spleen and small kidneys, is active and achievement-oriented, often with a developed chest and small hips.
The Soyangin has a large liver and small lungs, and tends to stillness and managing domestic affairs. Physically, a Soyangin has a thick waist and slender, weak neck.
The Soeumin has large kidneys and a small spleen, a tendency to remain in one place and to be feminine. This type shows developed hips and a weak waist.
Which of the four is the president?
“I have yet to do a diagnosis on him,” Dr. Shin replied. “But the president, after having the disk surgery, is fine, and he is in good shape and ready to do little bit of exercising.”

by Kim Ji-soo