Contact Form

Name

Email *

Message *

Search This Blog

Image
SIMTEA.comSIMTEA.com November 14, 2025

Korean Ginseng: From the Legacy of Goguryeo to the Symbol of a Divided Modernity

李殷昌 / E.C. Lee / SIMTEA.com


I. Origins of Insam (Ginseng), Between Myth and Record

A. Philological Limitations of Origin Research

While it is clear that Insam (Ginseng) is one of the representative symbols of the Korean Peninsula, empirically clarifying its botanical and historical "origin" is a task that is virtually impossible. This is because the point at which ginseng first appears in literature or archaeological data is after humanity had already undergone a long period of trial and error, recognized its medicinal effects, and began to actively utilize it. Therefore, this report aims not to identify the "first place of origin," which is impossible to prove, but to trace the "history of value"—how ginseng has been perceived as a "specialty of the Korean Peninsula" and how it has acquired historical, economic, and cultural assets.

Since its appearance in history until the present, ginseng has played a profound role medically, politically, socio-economically, and culturally within the history of the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia. To understand such complex roles of ginseng, a review of the origin issue is essential, and without clarifying the origins, there are fundamental limitations in discussing the various meanings of ginseng in history.

B. Critical Review of Early Research

The first comprehensive attempt based on modern historical research methodology regarding the origin of Korean ginseng is considered to be The History of Ginseng (Insam-sa) by Imamura Tomo, a Japanese bureaucrat during the Japanese colonial period. However, this study contains many points that are logically contradictory and difficult to accept, and above all, it entails a fatal limitation.

Imamura's research limited the target region to "China" while examining the issue of ginseng's origin, intentionally excluding the discussion of ginseng produced in "Manchuria and the Korean Peninsula". This is not a mere academic omission, but a geopolitical act showing that the history of ginseng is essentially a debate over ancient territory and cultural ownership. It is analyzed that "logical contradictions" were bound to occur as he tried to develop a China-centric logic while excluding Manchuria and the Korean Peninsula (the core territories of Gojoseon and Goguryeo). Therefore, this report attempts a new approach from the perspective of the entire ancient Northeast Asia, encompassing ginseng produced in Manchuria and the Korean Peninsula.

C. Historical First Appearance of 'Insam' (Chinese Literature)

The history of ginseng begins in earnest when it is recognized as "valuable" to humans and starts being recorded.

The character "Sam" (蔘) first appears in literature in Jijiuzhang (Quick Access to Characters), a character study book from the era of Emperor Yuan of the Former Han Dynasty in China (BC 48-33). This suggests that the history of ginseng cognition dates back more than 2,000 years.

The oldest medical text recording specific prescriptions of ginseng as a medicinal herb is Shanghan Lun (Treatise on Cold Damage Disorders) (AD 196-219), written by Zhang Zhongjing of the Later Han Dynasty in China. Subsequently, around the 5th century, Shennong Bencao Jing (The Divine Farmer's Herb-Root Classic), known as China's first pharmacological book, classified ginseng as a "superior drug" (Upper Class Medicine) that "causes no side effects even when taken for a long time and allows one to enjoy longevity". These records imply that before the Three Kingdoms period of Korea began in earnest, ginseng had already secured a firm status in the East Asian international society as a "strategic luxury good" and an "elixir of life extension," going beyond a simple medicinal herb. This value of ginseng, established early on, became the background for ginseng to play a key role in the fierce diplomatic and trade stages of the Three Kingdoms period.


II. Three Kingdoms Period: Three Types of Ginseng on the International Stage

A. Trade Item of the Three Kingdoms, Ginseng

By the Three Kingdoms period, ginseng emerged as an important diplomatic asset and trade item for the states on the Korean Peninsula.

The Samguk Sagi (History of the Three Kingdoms) records that Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla all traded (or paid tribute with) ginseng to China. The main native habitats of ginseng were the Korean Peninsula, Manchuria, and the Maritime Province, regions that significantly overlapped with the territory of Goguryeo at the time.

In the case of Silla, there remains a specific record that in the 2nd year of Queen Seondeok (AD 628), ginseng was sent as a tribute to Emperor Taizong of Tang. This shows that ginseng was a precious item used in official diplomatic activities between nations.

B. [Core] Comparative Analysis by Tao Hongjing in the 5th Century

The most important and concrete literature on the quality and characteristics of ancient Korean ginseng is Bencao Jing Jizhu (Collected Commentaries on the Materia Medica), a pharmacological book written by Tao Hongjing (456-536), a scholar of the Liang Dynasty in the Southern Dynasties of China, in the 5th century. This document vividly conveys the situation of the East Asian ginseng market at the time.

  • Baekje Ginseng: Tao Hongjing recorded, "Ginseng from Baekje is considered important," evaluating Baekje ginseng as the best. He described its characteristics as "slender in shape but firm and white," and compared it by stating, "Its energy and taste are milder (thinner) than that of (Chinese) Shangdang ginseng". This shows that "Baekje-made" had firmly established itself as a premium brand in the 5th-century Chinese market.

  • Goguryeo Ginseng: Next to Baekje ginseng, he stated, "Goryeo (Goguryeo) products are used". A point to note here is that he specifically specified the origin, stating, "Goryeo is essentially Liaodong". As for the characteristics of Goguryeo ginseng, he evaluated it as "large in shape but hollow and soft inside, inferior to that of Baekje".

Through this comparative analysis, the quality ranking of the 5th-century East Asian ginseng market (Baekje > Goguryeo > China's Shangdang) and the characteristics of each brand are clearly revealed.

5th Century East Asian Ginseng Comparison (Based on Tao Hongjing, Bencao Jing Jizhu)

  • Baekje (Baekje Sam): Slender shape. Firm and white. Considered the best product (Important). Milder in taste and energy than Chinese Shangdang ginseng.

  • Goguryeo (Goryeo Sam): Large shape. Hollow and soft. Second-best product. Inferior to Baekje ginseng. Origin is Liaodong.

  • China (Shangdang Sam): (Standard). The reference point for comparing the quality of Baekje/Goguryeo ginseng.

C. Tao Hongjing's Geopolitical Insight

The true value of Tao Hongjing's record lies in the fact that it captured not just simple medicinal comparisons but also the political and distribution situation of the time.

He recorded, "Since Baekje is currently a subject state of Goryeo (Goguryeo), what the (Goguryeo) envoys bring is a mixture of both Goryeo and Baekje products".

This is not merely a footnote in a pharmacological book but is close to a "trade report" penetrating the international situation of East Asia in the 5th century. Through this record, we can see that 5th-century Chinese importers (1) clearly distinguished the "brands" of Korean ginseng (Baekje, Goguryeo), (2) identified the place of origin (Goguryeo = Liaodong), and (3) further understood "supply chain information" and "inter-state political relations," knowing that Goguryeo controlled Baekje and even dominated the distribution network of the highest quality Baekje ginseng. This is a key historical material showing the level of highly developed international trade at the time.


D. Physical Evidence of Silla Ginseng (Nasam)

While Baekje and Goguryeo drew attention in written records, the most dramatic and clear physical evidence belongs to Silla.

The actual "Silla Ginseng" exported from Unified Silla to Japan around the 8th century has been preserved for over 1,300 years and is currently kept in the Shosoin Repository in Nara, Japan.

At the time, Silla ginseng was called by the unique name "Nasam" (Ra-sam), and according to records in Samguk Sagi and Samguk Yusa, it was considered the "best among medicinal herbs," enough to be directly presented to the imperial families of China and Japan. This "Nasam" predates the oldest existing ginseng in Korea (12th-century Goryeo ginseng) by about 400 years, proving that the prestige of "Goryeo ginseng," which later became world-renowned, continued directly from this "Nasam".

This demonstrates that Unified Silla, despite gaps in written records, was a major player with high technological and economic power capable of stably producing, processing, and exporting "Nasam," the highest quality product of the time, to Japan. Ultimately, the fame of "Goryeo ginseng" is not the exclusive property of any single state, but the result of a fusion of legacies accumulated by the Three Kingdoms in their own ways.


III. Goguryeo Era: The Origin of the Name 'Goryeo Insam' and Geopolitical Assets

A. Origin of the Name 'Goryeo Insam': 'Goryeo' is 'Goguryeo'

The core analysis of this report and the central axis of the user's inquiry is the relationship between "Goguryeo" and ginseng.

The origin of the name "Goryeo Insam" (Korean Ginseng) we use today comes not from the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) founded by Wang Geon, but from referring to "Goguryeo" of the Three Kingdoms period.

In contemporary Chinese literature, including Tao Hongjing's Bencao Jing Jizhu (5th century) analyzed in Chapter II, the name "Goryeo" was the name used for Goguryeo at the time. Chinese historical texts often referred to both Goguryeo and the Goryeo of the Wang clan founded in 918 collectively as "Goryeo" without clear distinction. Therefore, the historical origin of the brand "Goryeo Insam" dates back 1,500 years to the Goguryeo era.

However, a paradoxical point is discovered here. In the 5th-century market, (1) quality was highest for "Baekje products," and (2) "Goguryeo products" were evaluated lower. Yet, (3) the name of the brand that continued to modern times ("Goryeo") originated from "Goguryeo".

In other words, the brand name "Goryeo Insam" started in a contradictory state where the name was inherited from Goguryeo, which had lower quality evaluations, while the actual quality (Baekje products) was lost.

This contradiction is dramatically resolved with the appearance of Wang Geon's "Goryeo" in the 10th century. Wang Geon's Goryeo (1) took the justification (name) of succeeding Goguryeo, and (2) simultaneously physically integrated the territories of ancient Baekje and Silla (the cultivation sites of the highest quality ginseng).

With this, Wang Geon's Goryeo fused Goguryeo's "name" and Baekje/Silla's "quality" into one, finally completing the "Goryeo Insam" brand in both name and reality.


B. Goguryeo's Strategic Material, 'Liaodong Sam'

For Goguryeo, ginseng was not just a medicinal herb. In the "Goryeo Section" of the Book of Southern Qi, compiled in 537, there is a noteworthy record: "In Goguryeo, silver is mined from Silver Mountain (Eunsan) and used as wealth, and the same is true for ginseng and sable fur".

This clearly shows that ginseng, along with silver and sable fur, constituted Goguryeo's wealth and was a "Strategic Asset" used like currency. Goguryeo ginseng was called "Liaodong Sam" or "Liosam" as pointed out by Tao Hongjing, and had a deep connection with Goguryeo's vast Manchurian territory (Liaodong).


C. Diplomatic Asset: 'Tribute' or 'Trade'?

The status of ginseng was a "litmus test" reflecting the sovereignty and national power of the states on the Korean Peninsula. Goguryeo treated ginseng as a major export item in trade with the Sui and Tang Dynasties.

Here, a decisive difference with Silla is revealed. Silla offered ginseng to Tang as "tribute". However, Goguryeo, a powerful nation in East Asia at the time, had no reason to offer tribute to Tang, and thus there are no records of ginseng being offered as tribute.

When the state was strong (Goguryeo), ginseng was an "export item" that accumulated wealth. Conversely, when the power of the state was relatively weak (Silla, and later Joseon), ginseng sometimes became a "mandatory tribute item" that drained national wealth. Thus, ginseng in the Goguryeo era was a diplomatic asset symbolizing their powerful national strength and economic power.


D. Fall of Goguryeo and the Southward Movement of Ginseng Technology

After the fall of Goguryeo in 668, numerous Goguryeo refugees moved massively to the southern part of the Korean Peninsula.

In this process, it is raised as a possibility that ginseng varieties or cultivation techniques of Goguryeo, represented by "Liaodong Sam," flowed into the inland of the Korean Peninsula, contributing to the development of Kaesong ginseng in the later Goryeo era.


IV. Goryeo Era: Completion of the 'Goryeo Insam' Brand

A. Succession of Goguryeo Heritage and Brand Establishment

"Goryeo," founded by Wang Geon in 918, officially proclaimed the succession of Goguryeo. As the Goryeo Dynasty, which integrated the legacies of the Three Kingdoms, was established, the name "Goryeo Insam" (Koryo Insam) began to be known in earnest to the whole world along with the name of the dynasty.


B. Kaesong: The Center of a Global Brand

The capital of Goryeo, "Kaesong," was the cradle that completed the "Goryeo Insam" brand. The Kaesong area possessed optimal soil, water quality, and climatic conditions for ginseng cultivation.

Kaesong was not just a place where ginseng grew, but a collection center (Hub) where ginseng from all over the country gathered, and a center for processing and distribution. Through Byeokrando, the international trading port at the mouth of the Yesong River, Kaesong's ginseng was exported under the name "Goryeo Insam" to Arabian merchants as well as merchants from the Song Dynasty of China. During this period, "Goryeo Insam" completed its international status as the best specialty product representing the Korean Peninsula and a masterpiece brand unrivaled by others.


C. Limits of Supply and Crisis

As the fame of "Goryeo Insam" rose, demand exploded. Particularly at the end of the Goryeo Dynasty, as the indiscriminate demand of the ruling class surged, overharvesting of wild ginseng (Sansam) became extreme. As wild ginseng became increasingly rare, the supply of ginseng hit a serious limit.

This crisis became a decisive turning point in the Joseon Dynasty that changed the paradigm of ginseng from "gathering" to "cultivation".


V. Joseon Era: Spread of Cultivation and Innovation in Processing

A. Emergence of Cultivated Ginseng (Gasam): From Crisis to Opportunity

Reaching the Joseon Dynasty, as wild ginseng reached a state of near depletion, a fundamental solution was needed to meet the exploding domestic and international demand.

The result was "Gasam," or artificially cultivated ginseng. This was the most dramatic transformation in the history of ginseng, where ginseng was incorporated from the object of "gathering" into the realm of "agriculture".

There are two main records regarding the starting point of ginseng cultivation.

  • 16th Century Technology Existence Theory: In the Chinese medical book Bencao Gangmu (Compendium of Materia Medica) published by Li Shizhen in 1596, there is a surprising record: "Currently in Joseon (former Goguryeo/Baekje/Silla regions), ginseng seeds are planted in October like vegetables for cultivation". This implies that ginseng cultivation technology already existed in the Korean Peninsula in the mid-16th century or earlier.

  • 18th Century Economic Diffusion Theory: On the other hand, records such as Munheon Bigo (1770) in the late Joseon Dynasty describe that as the depletion of wild ginseng emerged as a social problem in the 17th-18th centuries, cultivation methods were developed in earnest in places like Jeolla-do to meet the shortage of demand and began to spread nationwide.

These two records are not contradictory. The record in the 16th-century Bencao Gangmu proves the "existence of technology," and the 18th-century Joseon records show the process by which that technology was finally "diffused" on a large scale due to the "economic necessity" of wild ginseng depletion. This represents a typical time lag in technology adoption, and it is around this time that the Kaesong region became famous for ginseng cultivation.

B. Innovation: Invention of 'Red Ginseng' (Hongsam) and Kaesong Merchants

The biggest barrier to ginseng distribution in the late Joseon Dynasty was "spoilage (deterioration)". Fresh ginseng (Susam) had a high moisture content, making long-term storage and long-distance transport impossible.

Invented to solve this problem was the "steaming and drying" method, or the "Red Ginseng" manufacturing method, which steams fresh ginseng with steam and dries it. The invention of red ginseng was not a simple improvement in processing methods.

It was a "logistics revolution" that transformed a perishable "biological product" into an "industrial product (manufactured good)" capable of long-term storage.

Red ginseng escaped the constraints of expiration dates and dramatically expanded the range of international trade for Joseon ginseng.

Kaesong merchants (Songsang) dominated this network connecting production-processing-distribution of red ginseng—what is now "Supply Chain Management (SCM)"—and accumulated enormous wealth.


C. Ginseng Exchanged for 'Silver': Core of Late Joseon Trade

Red ginseng, which became capable of long-term storage, became a key means of payment replacing "silver" in trade with Qing and Japan in the late Joseon Dynasty. When Joseon envoys went to China, they sold ginseng locally to cover expenses instead of scarce silver.

Especially in Japan, Joseon ginseng was a high-priced item exchanged for silver of the same weight. A record stating that in the 17th century, when Thai (Siam) merchants drifted to Joseon, they desperately secured only "nine chests of red ginseng" while abandoning other things even as their ship was sinking, vividly testifies to the fame of red ginseng and its overwhelming economic value that extended even to Southeast Asia at the time.


VI. Modern Era: Divided Legacy, Two 'Goryeo Insams'

The legacy of "Goryeo Insam," which started from the heritage of Goguryeo and was completed through Goryeo and Joseon, was divided into two different narratives with the division of the Korean Peninsula in the 20th century.

A. North Korea's (DPRK) 'Kaesong Koryo Insam': Ideology and Nationalism

North Korea uses the brand "Kaesong Koryo Insam" and projects strong nationalism and ideology onto the history of ginseng.

  • Historical View: Unlike the common theory in South Korean academia which views the origin of ginseng cultivation as the late Joseon period, North Korea pushes it back to the "Ancient Joseon (Dangun) era". This is a highly nationalistic narrative attempting to link the history of ginseng with the origin of the nation.

  • Politics: North Korean literature blatantly emphasizes that the fame and production achievements of ginseng are due to the "wise leadership of the Workers' Party of Korea" and the "meticulous care of President Kim Il-sung". Ginseng is utilized as an important tool for regime propaganda.

  • Infrastructure: Kaesong is sacredly regarded as the "birthplace of ginseng," and the state systematically operates farms, factories, research institutes, and even a "Koryo Insam Faculty" within universities. Exports are exclusively handled by the "Kaesong Koryo Insam Trading Company".

B. South Korea's (ROK) 'Goryeo Insam': Capital and Standardization

South Korea has developed "Goryeo Insam" into an industrial asset responding to the global market through capitalist branding and quality standardization.

  • Standardization: The "CheongKwanJang" brand, continuing from the monopoly system of the Japanese colonial period, holds about 70% of the domestic ginseng market and has established the quality standard of "6-year-old red ginseng," imprinting it on the global market.

  • Branding: By using the Taegeuk mark and 6 stars symbolizing 6-year roots in the emblem, it emphasizes trust and identity as a "Specialty of the Republic of Korea".

  • Legal Conflict: If exchanges between North and South Korea become active, there is room for legal friction regarding the Geographical Indication (GI) system between "Kaesong Koryo Ginseng" of North Korea and "Paju Koryo Ginseng" of South Korea, which are geographically adjacent.

Thus, the identical legacy of "Goryeo Insam" has differentiated into a "cultural mirror" reflecting the different ideologies of the North and South: one into "national legitimacy" and "ideological achievement," and the other into "industrial standard" and "capitalist brand".

C. Global Identity Conflict: 'Ginseng' vs. 'Insam'

Another conflict modern "Goryeo Insam" faces is its identity in the global market. Currently, in the English-speaking world, the term "Ginseng" is used as a comprehensive term including not only ginseng from the Korean Peninsula (Panax ginseng), but also American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) and Chinese ginseng (Panax notoginseng).

The problem is that the origin of the word "Ginseng" itself comes from the Chinese pronunciation (Renshen, Jianshen) of "Insam," attached when "Goryeo Insam" was exported to the West via China in the past. This term became fixed globally when Russian botanist C.A. Meyer registered the scientific name of Korean Peninsula ginseng as "Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer" in 1843.

In response, a campaign is underway in South Korea to register Korean ginseng as the proper noun "Insam," like "Kimchi" or "Tteokbokki," to distinguish it from ginseng of other countries with different qualities and to properly publicize the unique "excellence and quality" of Korean ginseng. This is not simple marketing. It can be said to be a "declaration of linguistic and cultural independence" and an attempt to re-establish a post-colonial identity, aiming to cut off the "subordination of name" that occurred historically passing through the "middleman" of China and to appeal directly to the world market as "uniquely Korean".


VII. Symbol of Vitality Connecting the Past and Present of the Korean Peninsula

The history of ginseng began in the fertile soil of the Korean Peninsula and was recognized for its value amidst the fierce international competition of the Three Kingdoms period.

The quality of "Baekje Ginseng" which dominated the 5th-century market and the physical object of "Silla Ginseng (Nasam)" which endured 1,300 years of time became the solid foundation for the great brand of "Goryeo Insam".

"Goguryeo," which this report focused on, left an immortal mark on this legacy. Goguryeo not only provided the territorial asset of "Liaodong Sam" and the origin of the name "Goryeo Insam", but was also the first entity to utilize ginseng on the international stage as a "strategic trading nation" rather than a simple tributary state.

This complex legacy was completed as a world-class brand centered on "Kaesong" during the Goryeo Dynasty, and was reborn as a global product in the Joseon Dynasty by overcoming the crisis of wild ginseng depletion through the spread of "cultivation (Gasam)" and the technological innovation of "Red Ginseng".

Reaching modern times, "Goryeo Insam" has been divided into North Korea's "ideological asset" and South Korea's "industrial standard", symbolizing the division of the Korean Peninsula. At the same time, amidst the conflict of names between "Ginseng" and "Insam", it is once again asking the world about its unique identity.

Ultimately, the history of ginseng, starting from Goguryeo's medicinal herb, to Goryeo's trade item, Joseon's wealth, and the cultural pride of modern North and South Korea, symbolizes the vitality of the Korean Peninsula itself that has continued unbroken even through turbulent times.


Works cited

  1. 과거 중국인의 고구려 인식, accessed on November 12, 2025, https://hallyang.tistory.com/7

Comments

© SIMTEA. All Rights Reserved