3천 원의 기적, 그 뒤에 숨겨진 숭고한 약사의 일생: ‘선약국’ 미스터리의 진실 > 뉴스

The core of the mystery surrounding Sun Pharmacy’s burn ointment was the public’s excessive curiosity about the ‘ingredients’. As the therapeutic effect was so outstanding that it was difficult to explain with medical knowledge, people naturally speculated that the ointment contained something more than ordinary medicine. As a result of the production team's tracking based on over 200 unprecedented reports, the actual ingredients of the ointment were based on scientific principles that help skin regeneration and prevent secondary infections. Pharmacist Shin Je-seon never relied on luck or tricks, but accurately understood the patient's affected area and gave honest prescriptions to help heal. In the end, it was proven that the ‘miracle’ that the public wanted to believe did not come from a mysterious ingredient, but was the result of the pharmacist’s meticulous observation of patients and the sincerity of consistent research.

The life of pharmacist Shin Je-seon is intertwined with the tragedies of modern Korean history. As a civilian prisoner of war in Geoje Prisoner of War camp during the Korean War, he witnessed numerous trauma and burn patients suffering on the battlefield and developed a noble determination to create a medicine that would provide treatment to anyone. After becoming a pharmacist, he opened a pharmacy in Haengdang Market in 1970 and devoted his pharmaceutical knowledge to providing relief to those in pain. Rather than simply selling medicine, he considered himself a ‘listening pharmacist’ who listened to the patient’s story, and practiced ninjutsu to touch the patient’s heart during the treatment process. His philosophy stands in contrast to the modern pharmaceutical environment where the pursuit of profit is the top priority, and raises serious questions about what the true essence of medicine is to us today.

The reason why Sun Pharmacy suddenly disappeared in the early 2000s was due to human suffering and realistic limitations that were different from popular rumors. Many people assumed that the pharmacy closed due to the division of medicine, but the actual decisive reason was the worsening of pharmacist Shin Je-seon's chronic illness. After caring for patients for a long time and not taking care of himself, his health deteriorated rapidly, and he eventually moved to Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, where he continued to fight the disease before passing away in 2008. His stubbornness in rejecting the pharmaceutical company's offer for mass production and sticking to the low price of 3,000 won until the end was his last pride in putting patient care before commercial success. The public just thought that the ‘legendary pharmacy’ had disappeared, but in fact, behind it was a person’s lonely struggle with illness and a noble ending.

The story of Sun Pharmacy, re-examined through this broadcast, goes beyond simply stimulating nostalgia for the past, and also evokes the value of ‘trust’ that is being forgotten in modern society. The dramatic connection between the production crew and his son Shin Yun-hwan, who lived 8,400 km away, showed how deeply moving records of the past can be in the process of uncovering the truth of the present. The relics and records left behind by pharmacist Shin Je-seon serve as evidence to prove how thoroughly he lived a patient-centered life. The empathy and emotion shown by listeners such as Winter and Shin Eun-jung made viewers think again about what the ‘real adults’ around us should look like. What was discovered in over 200 reports was not the secret to a burn ointment, but the humanity that pervades the times and a warm gaze toward others.