Column June 9, 2025
Gyeongokgo and Seasonal Respiratory Care — Keeping the Lungs Moist
Hyo-seop Kim
Chief Director
Table of Contents
The dry cough that returns every season
As autumn and winter arrive, the air grows dry and the bronchial mucosa loses moisture, triggering a cough. Even without a cold, the cough may persist for weeks, with little or thick phlegm and a scratchy throat.
The lung-moistening (潤肺) effect of Gyeongokgo
The chief herb (main ingredient) of Gyeongokgo, fresh Rehmannia root (生地黃), is a representative yin-nourishing, dryness-moistening (滋陰潤燥) herb in Korean medicine.
- Fresh Rehmannia root (生地黃): Generates body fluids to keep the lung and bronchial mucosa moist
- Honey (蜂蜜): Moistens the lungs and calms cough — the lung-moistening, cough-stopping (潤肺止咳) effect
- Korean ginseng (人蔘): Replenishes lung qi (肺氣) and strengthens overall respiratory function
Effective for these types of cough
- Dry cough lasting 2 to 3 weeks or more after a cold
- Cough that worsens when lying down at night
- Cough with a dry throat and little phlegm
- Cough that gets worse in dry environments (air conditioning, heating)
How to take it
If you dissolve Gyeongokgo in warm water and sip it slowly, it directly coats the throat and esophagus as it goes down, so the lung-moistening effect appears more quickly. Take 1 spoonful in the morning and 1 in the evening, every day, consistently.