Kim Bong-han (; born 1916) was a North Korean medical surgeon at

Pyongyang Medical University Pyongyang Medical University is the top medical school in North Korea. History After the Department of Medical Science at Kim Il-sung University was split up in 1948, the Pyongyang Medical University was officially established by the North Kor ...

and Kyung-Rak institute (KRI). He is primarily known for his research on a proposed mechanism for

acupuncture Acupuncture is a form of alternative medicine and a component of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in which thin needles are inserted into the body. Acupuncture is a pseudoscience; the theories and practices of TCM are not based on scientifi ...

that was not accepted by the mainstream medical community that has come to be called the "primo-vascular system". He received the

People's Prize The People's Prize ( ko, 인민상) is a North Korean arts and sciences award. It is awarded by the People's Prize Awarding Commission, which is working directly under the Cabinet of North Korea. The prize can be granted to works of art or people. ...

for his research. The primo-vascular system was claimed to be scientifically confirmed in 2002, but the matter remains controversial. In 1966, the Kyung-Rak institute was closed and Kim disappeared.

Early life and education

Kim Bong-han was born in 1916. He obtained his medical degree from

Seoul National University Seoul National University (SNU; ) is a national public research university located in Seoul, South Korea. Founded in 1946, Seoul National University is largely considered the most prestigious university in South Korea; it is one of the three "S ...

in 1946. After the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

broke out, Kim, who was a physiologist based in South Korea, crossed over to North Korea, leaving his family behind. Prior to his arrival in North Korea, Kim was affiliated with the

Korea Democratic Party The Korea Democratic Party (, KDP) was the leading opposition party in the first years of the First Republic of Korea. It existed from 1945 to 1949, when it merged with other opposition parties. The U.S. military government has defined the ...

Primo-vascular system

Kim claimed the existence of the ''Chin-Lo'', ''Kyungrak'', or ''Bonghan'' system, a system of pathways which he proposed form a basis for

acupuncture points This article provides a comprehensive list of acupuncture points, locations on the body used in acupuncture, acupressure, and other treatment systems based on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Locations and basis More than four hundred ...

and meridians. In 2010, South Korean researchers recognized the same system as the "primo-vascular system". There is no credible scientific evidence that these structures exist, however. While working as director of

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...

's Kyung-Rak institute (KRI) from 1962 to 1965, Kim published five articles in the ''Journal of Jo Sun Medicine'', about acupuncture, the Kyungrak system, and the "Sanal" theory. These articles form the basis of the proposed primo-vascular system, which attracted some interest as late as in the early 2010s. The

North Korean government In the North Korean government, the Cabinet is the administrative and executive body. The North Korean government consists of three branches: administrative, legislative, and judicial. However, they are not independent of each other, but all br ...

supported Kim's research by supplying his team with various analytical instruments such as

microscope A microscope () is a laboratory instrument used to examine objects that are too small to be seen by the naked eye. Microscopy is the science of investigating small objects and structures using a microscope. Microscopic means being invisibl ...

s and

radioactive tracer A radioactive tracer, radiotracer, or radioactive label is a chemical compound in which one or more atoms have been replaced by a radionuclide so by virtue of its radioactive decay it can be used to explore the mechanism of chemical reactions by ...

s, most of which were imported from

Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the Europe, European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russ ...

. He was awarded the

for his work on 2 February 1962. Kim's book ''On the Kyungrak system'' was originally simultaneously published in Korean and Chinese languages in 1963.

Disappearance

In 1966, the Kyung-Rak research institute was shut down. , Kim's whereabouts thereafter remain unknown.

Works

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Early life and education

Primo-vascular system

Disappearance

Works

See also

References

Further reading