Copies of a Korean historical medical book titled “Donguibogam” have been designated as national treasures.

The Cultural Heritage Administration announced on Monday that it designated the copies as national treasures as the woodblock-printed books hold historical value.

The CHA also cited UNESCO's inclusion of the books on its Memory of the World Register in 2009.

The three copies are the original versions of Donguibogam, respectively owned by the National Library, the Academy of Korean Studies and the Kyujanggak Institute for Korean Studies.
     
Donguibogam was first published in 1613 by Heo Jun, a renowned doctor of traditional Korean medicine from the Joseon Dynasty. 

Currently, 36 copies of the historical medical encyclopedia exist at home and abroad.