Bamboo salt became widely recognized in Korean society following the publication of Sin Yak (神藥) in 1986, authored by Master In-san Kim Il-hoon. The book presented original medical perspectives of its time, exploring bamboo salt alongside formulations such as Ohhaekdan (五核丹), Samb o Injection (三寶注射), and Yeonggu-beop (靈灸法), a system that developed traditional moxibustion practices. It brought together distinctive interpretations and various traditional prescriptions under a unified philosophical framework.

Sin Yak attracted attention as an attempt to reinterpret the relationship between nature, tradition, and the human body beyond the prevailing medical paradigms of the era. Upon its release, the book was praised by some as a work that opened new horizons in medicine, while others regarded its unconventional interpretations as complex and controversial.

Despite differing views, Sin Yak continued to be read over many years — an uncommon longevity for a specialized medical text — and contributed to expanding public interest in bamboo salt and traditional natural therapies.

The principles and properties of bamboo salt are discussed in detail in Sin Yak. An excerpt reflecting Master Kim Il-hoon’s perspective reads as follows:

“Bamboo salt (竹鹽) is created through the extraction and synthesis of what I termed ‘Haekbiso (核砒素)’ — a core mineral principle believed to exist within coarse sun-dried sea salt from Korea’s western coast, influenced by tidal waters and subterranean minerals, and within the clear sap contained in bamboo. It may be regarded as a food-based medicinal substance, traditionally understood to act across a wide range of conditions — from minor external injuries to more serious internal illnesses.

The seawater of Korea’s western coast possesses, in my view, a unique natural composition rich in mineral elements. Sun-dried sea salt produced from these waters contains a complex mixture of mineral substances and what I described as life-supporting mineral principles. Haekbiso, among these mineral components, represents a core crystallizing element. I described it as dual in nature — potentially harmful in excess, yet life-supporting when properly moderated.

According to my interpretation, this mineral principle emerged over time through the interaction between seawater and the earth’s internal heat.

As such, I regarded it as a fundamental element capable of counterbalancing harmful substances within the human body.

Bamboo, nourished by seasonal energies and drawing sulfur-rich elements from the earth, was understood to absorb and contain these mineral principles as it grows, thereby contributing to its distinctive properties.”

Master Kim Il-hoon’s language arose from his distinctive insight into the nature of things, shaped by deep philosophical reflection and intuitive perception. As such, it may not always be immediately accessible to the general reader. Yet at the center of his thought lies a unique wisdom he sought to convey through bamboo salt. According to his interpretation, all phenomena arise through transformation grounded in what he described as yeomseong (鹽性) — the fundamental “salt-nature” inherent in existence. He understood the force that brings forth new buds and leaves each spring, and the principle that preserves living matter from decay, as expressions of this salt-nature at work.