• Journal of Ginseng Culture
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• v.4
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• pp.103-127
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• 2022

The influx of modern culture in the early 20th century in Korea led to numerous changes in the country's ginseng industry. With the development of ginseng cultivation technology and commerce, the production and consumption of ginseng increased, and various ginseng products were developed using modern manufacturing technology. Consequently, competition for the sales of these products became fierce. At that time, newspaper advertisements showed detailed trends in the development and sales competition of ginseng products. Before 1920, however, there were few advertisements of ginseng in newspapers. This is thought to be because newspapers had not yet been generalized, and the ginseng industry had not developed that much. Ginseng advertisements started to revitalize in the early 1920s after the launch of the Korean daily newspapers Dong-A Ilbo and Chosun Ilbo. Such advertisements in this period focused on emphasizing the traditional efficacy of Oriental medicine and the mysterious effects of ginseng. There were many advertisements for products that prescribed the combination of ginseng and deer antler, indicating the great popularity of this prescription at the time. Furthermore, advertisements showed many personal experience stories about taking such products. Mail order and telemarketing sales were already widely used in the 1920s . In 1925, there were advertisements that ginseng products were delivered every day. The advertisements revealed that ginseng roots were classified more elaborately than they are now according to size and quality. Ginseng products in the 1920s did not deviate significantly from the scope of traditional Oriental medicine formulations such as liquid medicine, pill, and concentrated extract. In the 1930s, ginseng advertisements became more active. At this time, experts such as university professors and doctors in medicine or in pharmacy appeared in the advertisements. They recommended ginseng products or explained the ingredients and medicinal effects of the products. Even their experimental notes based on scientific research results appeared in the advertisements to enhance the reliability of the ginseng products. In 1931, modern tablet advertisements appeared. Ginseng products supplemented with vitamins and other specific ingredients as well as ginseng thin rice gruel for the sick appeared at this time. In 1938, ginseng advertisements became more popular, and advertisements using talents as models, such as dancer Choi Seunghee or famous movie stars, models appeared. Ginseng advertisements in the 1920s and 1930s clearly show a side of our rapidly changing society at the time.