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You have a diagnosis, but no improvement
You keep up with treatment, yet daily life remains just as hard.
You don't have to figure this out alone — let's find a direction together
Intractable Conditions Clinic
If you have already been through several clinics and hospitals, we will give you a frank assessment of what may help at this point. A Korean Medicine doctor trained in pathology re-examines your condition from its underlying mechanisms and works with you to set a realistic next step.
Does any of this sound familiar?
Rather than struggling alone, it may be time to look for a helpful direction together
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You have been to several hospitals
Each place explains things differently, and it is hard to know what is right.
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No one has explained why you are ill
Tests and prescriptions keep repeating, but explanations of the cause have been scarce.
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Managing daily life feels overwhelming
There is no clear guidance on what to avoid and what to do.
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We identify precisely what can be helped
Drawing on a background researching disease mechanisms at Kyung Hee University's College of Korean Medicine, we identify and explain in concrete terms where Korean Medicine treatment can actually help in your current condition. Neither vague hope nor premature resignation — setting an evidence-based direction together is where we begin.
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We look at the path your illness has taken, not just a list of symptoms
With difficult-to-treat conditions, looking only at today's symptoms rarely reveals an answer. I retrace the entire path your illness has taken — in what order it progressed, where the body's regulation broke down, and what accumulated on top of that. Even under the same diagnosis, no two people have walked the same path.
Core Solution
How your care proceeds
1
Medical history review
Bring your previous test results and treatment records, and we go through them together from the beginning.
2
Mechanism reassessment
We look at your current condition again through the lens of pathology and explain it in language you can understand.
3
A direction that can help
We point out specifically where Korean Medicine treatment may help and set realistic goals together.
4
Step-by-step treatment
We confirm small changes first and adjust the direction as your progress unfolds.
doctor Dr. Heo Ji-young
A graduate of the College of Korean Medicine at Kyung Hee University, with master's and doctoral degrees in pathology — the mechanisms of disease — from its graduate school. Later served as a research professor in the university's Herbology department, studying medicinal substances. Studying both disease and medicine from both sides is the foundation of this practice: explaining "why a given medicine works for a given illness" in the language of both pathology and pharmacology.
Explains autonomic, chronic, and intractable conditions — and structural problems of the body — in the language of modern science, and proposes treatment matched to the cause. Has taught prescribing and clinical practice to Korean medicine doctors for over ten years, and is a co-author of "Korean Medicine, Explained by Korean Medicine Doctors," selected for the 2018 Sejong Books list (general category).
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. When should I consider visiting?
A. If a chronic condition has been slow to improve despite long-term treatment, or you have never received a full explanation of its cause, we recommend a consultation. It helps to bring your previous test results and a list of your current medications.
Q. Is a complete recovery possible?
A. It depends on the condition and your current state. Rather than promising a cure, we tell you frankly what can realistically improve from where you are now, and set achievable goals together — such as symptom relief and regaining daily function. We share your progress at every stage, and if we judge that it is unlikely to help, we will tell you so.
Q. Do I need to stop my current hospital treatment?
A. No. Our principle is to work alongside your existing treatment, and if any adjustment seems needed, we will guide you to discuss it with your attending physician.
Q. Can I come in for a consultation only?
A. Yes. We first review your condition and tell you frankly whether Korean Medicine treatment may help. If we judge that it is unlikely to help, we will tell you so.
Contact Us
Have questions?
We're here to help.
02-446-1075
Weekdays 09:30 - 20:00 / Saturday 09:30 - 13:00
Lunch Break 12:30 - 14:00 / Closed Sunday · Public Holidays
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Treatment Process
Here is what to expect at your first visit
1
Checking your vitals
We start by measuring blood pressure, pulse, and body temperature for everyone who visits.
2
Assessing your condition
If you are also considering an herbal medicine prescription, we review a questionnaire along with urine and blood sugar tests, oxygen saturation and perfusion index measured with a fingertip device, the mouth, the eyes' pupillary light response, breathing, and sympathetic nervous system response — together with a hands-on physical examination where we look, touch, and check your movement directly.
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Explaining what we found
Based on what we find, we explain which part of your body is currently off balance. These checks are meant to reduce diagnostic error, rule out other underlying conditions, and prepare for any possible side effects. See the full list of what we check
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Setting a timeline together
For first-time patients, we often start with about one month, and review the prescription again every two weeks. If it looks like treatment will take longer, we let you know that upfront. Because of individual variation and the many variables in each person's physiology and condition, we cannot state this in absolute terms.
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First, we tell you what the standard actually is
"It is not about whether it is Western medicine or herbal medicine — what matters is a patient's recovery of daily life and a return to normal functioning." This is the standard Dr. Heo Ji-young holds to.
For someone who has already been through many other places, what is needed is not deciding which side is right. It is an honest conversation about what can realistically be restored in daily life right now, and what is difficult. Continuing your existing treatment is the standard approach here — this is not framed as a competition between approaches.
Kyunghee Meerae Korean Medicine Clinic, Gwangjin is located at Room 201, 46 Jayang-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It is a 7-minute walk from Guui Station Exit 4. · Directions