▲ Haonggo / Gyeongokgo Master Hwang Jin-bok

Gyeongokgo, gongjindan and woohwang-chungsimone are known as the three restoratives in South Korea. The royals took them on a regular basis in the past and Seungjeongwon Ilgi records about gyeongokgo in particular during the reins of the King Injo, Hyojong, Hyunjong, Sookjong, Youngjo, Jungjo, Sunjo and Hunjong. The reason these three restoratives in the center of the buzz recently is increased market demand for healthy food and supplements in this time of the unprecedented virus invasion. 

Also recorded in Chinese ancient books, gyeongokgo was made of Korean ginseng. Korean medical book Dongui Bogam also records that it rejunvenate the body and strengthen immunity. 

The gyeongokgo master Hwang Jin-bok of Haonggo says "Koreans have long been boiling down medicinal herbs to extract the essence through natural way. Thanks to this, Korea's medicinal herbs extraction ability is in a state of reverence."

Hwang stayed at a temple in his 20s during which one day he saw his teacher extracting medicinal herbs again and again for a long to leave the very essence. Observed with much attention, he gradually learned the skill and the patience. 

Having set up his own business, he is supplied ingredients from wild ginseng diggers in Jiri Mountain to make the freshest quality gyeongokgo. The difference between his and his teacher's is that he ripens instead of extract, thus named the brand 'Jirisan Haonggo Gyeongokgo'.

Here is how to make it in order: boiling seventy two hours of sixteen roots of saengjihwangchijup, 960g ginseng powder, 1,920g baekbokryeongmal and some baekmilryun - twenty four hours cooling - fourty eight hours low temperature boiling - three months of fermentation - at least one year of ripening.

With his name and fame rising to the surface, he had an honor to receive a National Assembly vice chairman's prize from the Korea Health and Medical Treatment Promotion Association.