astronomy

Kim Bong-han

Kim Bong-han is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Kim Bong-han rather than just read about it. In short: Kim Bong-han (Korean: 김봉한; born 1916 – disappeared 1966) was a North Korean medical surgeon at Pyongyang Medical University and Kyung-Rak institute (KRI). He is primarily known for his research on a proposed mechanism for acupuncture that was not accepted by the mainstream medical community, the primo-vascular system.

Key takeaways

Kim Bong-han belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Kim Bong-han to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Kim Bong-han from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Kim Bong-han (Korean: 김봉한; born 1916 – disappeared 1966) was a North Korean medical surgeon at Pyongyang Medical University and Kyung-Rak institute (KRI). He is primarily known for his research on a proposed mechanism for acupuncture that was not accepted by the mainstream medical community, the primo-vascular system. He received the People's Prize 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 in 1946. After the Korean War 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.

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 and meridians. In 2010, South Korean researchers recognized the same system as the "primo-vascular system". There is credible scientific evidence that these structures exist. While working as director of North Korea'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 supported Kim's research by supplying his team with various analytical instruments such as microscopes and radioactive tracers, most of which were imported from Eastern Europe. He was awarded the People's Prize 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. As of 2011, Kim's whereabouts thereafter remain unknown.

Works Kim, Bong-han (1962). Great discovery in biology and medicine : substance of Kyungrak. Pyongyang: Foreign Languages Publishing House. OCLC 500017964. — (1964). On the Kyungrak system. Pyongyang: Foreign Languages Publishing House. OCLC 299812660. — (1965). Kyungrak System and Theory of Sanal. Pyongyang: Medical Science Press. OCLC 1136998725. — (2012). "Developmental and Comparative Biological Study of Primo Vascular System". Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies. 5 (5): 248–255. doi:10.1016/j.jams.2012.07.016. ISSN 2005-2901. PMID 23040106.

See also List of people who disappeared Traditional Korean medicine

References

Further reading Rose-Neil, Sidney (1967). "The work of Professor Kim Bong Han". Acupuncturist. 1: 15–19. Stefanov, Miroslav (2012). "Critical Review and Comments on B.H. Kim's Work on the Primo Vascular System". Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies. 5 (5): 241–247. doi:10.1016/j.jams.2012.07.008. ISSN 2005-2901. PMID 23040105.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Kim Bong-han

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Kim Bong-han claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Kim Bong-han before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Kim Bong-han ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Kim Bong-han

In research: Kim Bong-han appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Kim Bong-han in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Kim Bong-han is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1916 births, 1960s missing person cases, 20th-century North Korean scientists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Kim Bong-han outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Kim Bong-han” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Kim Bong-han in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Kim Bong-han means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Kim Bong-han out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Kim Bong-han in simple terms?

Why does Kim Bong-han matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Kim Bong-han?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Kim Bong-han.