이 논문은 지식의 정치경제학적 관점에서 한의학의 바이오경제화를 분석한다.
과학과 산업을 통한 한의학 지식의 생산, 소비, 변형은 정부, 의료계, 기업 등 다양한 행위자들의 복잡한 이해관계와 권력관계 속에서 발생한다. 이론적으로 이논문은 과학기술학(과학기술사회학)에서 최근 주목받고 있는 바이오가치와 바이오경제에 대한 논의들을 기반으로 하여 한의학의 바이오경제화를 생명공학이 전통적 문화를 전유하면서 새로운 바이오가치를 창출하는 과정으로 이해하고자 한다. 경험적으로 이 논문은 한의학의 바이오경제화를 잘 알고 있고 이 분야에 크게 기여한 전문가 및 관계자 20여명의 인터뷰와 다양한 문헌 자료를 바탕으로한다. 본문에서는 첫째 한의학의 바이오경제화와 천연물 신약 분쟁을 한방과양방의 오랜 영역 갈등 속에 위치지울 것이다. 둘째, 한의학의 바이오경제화가웰빙과 자연주의라는 새로운 문화적 가치와 어떻게 연관되는지 분석할 것이다.
셋째, 천연물 신약이 탄생하게 되는 산업적, 정책적 배경을 설명할 것이다. 넷째,‘천연물 신약’ 개발을 둘러싸고 정부, 의료계, 제약회사 간의 충돌이 일어나는 과정을 설명할 것이다. 여기서 ‘천연물 신약’의 탄생은 한국 제약 산업의 영세성을극복하기 위한 전략적 선택이자 한의학의 전통과 한국의 의료문화를 적극적으로 인정하고 활용한 결과이다. 하지만 한의계는 이를 일종의 바이오약탈(biopiracy)로 규정하고 제약업계의 한의학 침범을 비판하는 동시에 천연물 신약 정책의 폐기를 주장하게 된다. 반면 제약업계와 정부는 천연물 신약이 광범위한 과학적,산업적 변형을 거쳤기 때문에 한의학의 영역이 아니라고 주장한다. 요컨대 이 논문은 한의학의 바이오경제화를 한의학 가치를 새롭게 창출하는 생명공학의 문화적 전유인 동시에 새로운 정치적, 경제적, 법적 갈등을 창출하는 사회기술경제적(sociotechnoeconomic) 과정으로 해석한다.
This paper analyzes the bioeconomization of Korean medicine in termsof the political economy of knowledge. The transformation, production,circulation and consumption of Korean medical knowledge through science andindustry involve governments, medical professionals, and health industries withdiverse sets of interests and power relationships. This paper draws on theoriesand concepts of biovalue and bioeconomy that have recently been heatedlydebated in the sociology of science and technology. I interpret bioeconomizationof Korean medicine as biotechnology’s cultural appropriation of traditionalKorean medicine, which has come about through the creation of new biovalues. This paper also draws on empirical results, including 20 in-depth interviews withexperts and stakeholders, as well as various literatures and data. In the mainbody of the article I first situate the bioeconomization of Korean medicine andthe dispute over botanical drugs in the context of the historical conflict betweenKorean medicine and biomedicine, which has been in place since Korea gainedits independence from Japan. Second, I analyze how cultural values such aswell-being and naturalism have influenced the bioeconomization of Koreanmedicine. Third, I explain the policy and industrial backgrounds that led to thebirth of ‘new botanical drugs’ in the Korean context. Fourth, I illuminate theconflicts among government regulators, medical practitioners, andpharmaceutical companies concerning the development of botanical drugs. Thebirth of the Korean botanical drug industry arose, in part, as a way to overcomethe Korean pharmaceutical industry’s small size and its appropriation of Koreanmedicine as a Korean tradition. But Korean medical professionals define thepharmaceuticals’ appropriation of Korean medicine as biopiracy. They criticize Korean pharmaceuticals’ invasion of Korean medicine and demand that thegovernment nullify the law that allows the development of botanical drugs. However, the pharmaceutical industry and the Korean government maintain thatthe development of new botanical drugs should not be an exclusive concern ofKorean medical professionals, because these drugs involve major transformationthrough science and industry. As a conclusion, this paper interprets Koreanmedicine’s bioeconomization as process of creating new biovalues bybiotechnology, which appropriate the cultural tradition of Korean medicine butalso involve a new sociotechnoeconomic process in which various political,economic, and legal conflicts are generated.
This paper analyzes the bioeconomization of Korean medicine in termsof the political economy of knowledge. The transformation, production,circulation and consumption of Korean medical knowledge through science andindustry involve governments, medical professionals, and health industries withdiverse sets of interests and power relationships. This paper draws on theoriesand concepts of biovalue and bioeconomy that have recently been heatedlydebated in the sociology of science and technology. I interpret bioeconomizationof Korean medicine as biotechnology’s cultural appropriation of traditionalKorean medicine, which has come about through the creation of new biovalues. This paper also draws on empirical results, including 20 in-depth interviews withexperts and stakeholders, as well as various literatures and data. In the mainbody of the article I first situate the bioeconomization of Korean medicine andthe dispute over botanical drugs in the context of the historical conflict betweenKorean medicine and biomedicine, which has been in place since Korea gainedits independence from Japan. Second, I analyze how cultural values such aswell-being and naturalism have influenced the bioeconomization of Koreanmedicine. Third, I explain the policy and industrial backgrounds that led to thebirth of ‘new botanical drugs’ in the Korean context. Fourth, I illuminate theconflicts among government regulators, medical practitioners, andpharmaceutical companies concerning the development of botanical drugs. Thebirth of the Korean botanical drug industry arose, in part, as a way to overcomethe Korean pharmaceutical industry’s small size and its appropriation of Koreanmedicine as a Korean tradition. But Korean medical professionals define thepharmaceuticals’ appropriation of Korean medicine as biopiracy. They criticize Korean pharmaceuticals’ invasion of Korean medicine and demand that thegovernment nullify the law that allows the development of botanical drugs. However, the pharmaceutical industry and the Korean government maintain thatthe development of new botanical drugs should not be an exclusive concern ofKorean medical professionals, because these drugs involve major transformationthrough science and industry. As a conclusion, this paper interprets Koreanmedicine’s bioeconomization as process of creating new biovalues bybiotechnology, which appropriate the cultural tradition of Korean medicine butalso involve a new sociotechnoeconomic process in which various political,economic, and legal conflicts are generated.
