Born into a low caste, Baek Gwang Hyeon first started working as a horse doctor, then worked his way up to become a famous veterinarian. Eventually, he became a doctor appointed to the royal palace, honoured with the distinction of being the king’s personal doctor. He was the first Oriental medicine doctor who practised surgical treatments in the field of Oriental medicine, and for this, he became a famous doctor and acupuncture specialist throughout Asia. His tumultuous life story, which begins with him surviving on the bottom rungs of society, encapsulates the deep humanism that he practised when healing patients.