Heo Jun Tomb

This is the tomb of Heo Jun (1537–1615), one of the most celebrated physicians of the Joseon period. As a physician he left behind works including the Donguibogam and the Eonhae Gugeupbang, a first-aid manual written in eonhae, vernacular Korean. The tomb site lies across the Imjingang River, within the Demilitarized Zone. The location of his tomb remained unconfirmed for centuries until it was discovered on 30 September 1991, when Lee Yang-jae, a researcher of old documents based in the United States, and others investigated the site with the cooperation of a military unit, following an entry in the Yangcheon Heo Clan Genealogy recording 'twin mounds facing the son direction at Eomdong, Hapo-ri' — that is, two burial mounds. At the time of discovery the mounds had been dug up so badly that their shape could no longer be made out, and the tomb marker stele was found broken into two pieces. The inscription retained the characters '陽平□ □聖功臣 □浚' ('Yangpyeong..., ...merit subject..., ...jun'), which confirmed that this was indeed his tomb, and the tomb's location and the form of the twin mounds matched the genealogy's description. Scattered nearby were a pair of stone civil-official statues, an offering table, a spirit stone and an incense-burner stone. The tomb takes the form of twin mounds, in which Heo Jun was buried together with his wife, Lady Kim of the Andong Kim clan. The original stone furnishings have been preserved as they were. The tomb marker is of a simple, small-scale type with a round-topped head stone and a square base. The civil-official statues depict a figure wearing an official's cap and court robes, with the simplified, flat rendering of face and body characteristic of the 17th century. The Tomb of Heo Jun retains its original form intact, making it an all the more important piece of cultural heritage.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Paju, Gyeonggi

Designation

Provincial Monument · 시도기념물