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Numerous topics related to Korean culture and art are mentioned in middle and high school national history textbooks, but most of them are briefly described by era, making it difficult to understand their concepts, transition processes, and characteristics.
<Culture & Art Stories from Korean History> produces and provides video materials based on expert commentary on the flow, change process, characteristics and characteristics of each major topic in the field of culture and art in Korean history.
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Scenario

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It's now the age of self-study and active class participations.
What have you done in class?
Study, play, experiment; school is a world of variety.
Then, what was school like during the Joseon Dynasty?

See the School Life of the Past through Seowon Architecture

The Seowon, a traditional-styled building set against a beautiful natural landscape as in a painting. A Seowon was a private school established by scholars of a given area during the Joseon period. The Seowon honored the scholarship and ideas of respected teachers while also cultivating the minds of the most talented students.

In every corner of the Seowon you will find aspects of the school life and teachings of Confucian scholars. Shall we take a look?

The entrance to the Seowon, whose low roof welcomes you.
The entrance was purposefully built this way and manifests the notion that anyone who enters here must show deference by bowing their head.
They so respected their teachers that students took care in their every step.

If you look closely at the architecture of the Seowon, you will find the rules of the Seowon hidden within.
The Seowon became a place where you learned and put into practice the tenets of Confucianism.

How were classes taught?
The main texts that students studied from were the Sohak, the Four Books and the Three Classics.
Students engaged in both self-study and group lessons with a teacher using these books.

In a lecture hall, students would first read aloud the texts they had studied and memorized, explain the concepts, and engage in question and answer debates with their classmates.
Teachers would then comment on the students' abilities. If a student was unable to memorize or explain a text, they would receive a failing grade.

Students of the time were also given progress reports. Each Seowon had a different method of marking grades.
On a report card from the Sosu Seowon, those who passed received "sun," while those who failed received "bul."

There was a phrase "Palbulchul", which meant that if you received 8 or more failing marks, you would be expelled from the school.
Therefore, it is now a way of calling someone unintelligent or stupid.

One of the most important duties of a Seowon was the Jesa, or memorial service ceremony. The ceremony would be held at a shrine to honor elderly, wise teachers and promise to follow and preserve their teachings.
Every spring and autumn, each Seowon held its own Jesa, which varied from region to region.

On the ceremonial table for a Jesa at a Seowon, you won't find the traditional rice, soup, or chopsticks. Instead, raw meat, uncooked meat, and other uncooked food is placed on it.

Seowon had the same rules as today's schools. Beginning with showing respect at a Jesa ceremony, students of Confucianism were asked to adhere to a lifestyle that displayed deference and courtesy towards all things.

Each of the trees planted at the Seowon had a particular meaning.
It is said that Confucius taught his students under the gingko tree, so Hyanggyo (Confucian schools) and Seowon all had gingko trees planted on the grounds.
There's also the crepe myrtle tree.
With its smooth, barkless trunk, it is a symbol of the ancient scholars who led pure and righteous lives.

Fully Understand Your Studies with the Help of Nature

There were two factors that needed to considered when deciding where to establish a Seowon.
First, it needed to be either the hometown of a prominent teacher or the location where a prominent teacher's ideas were realized.
Second, it had to be located in a spot of scenic beauty that was also quiet enough to allow students to focus only on their studies.

The defining characteristic of the Seowon is its union of enlightened scholarship with nature, something that can be discerned in the pavilion called the "Nu" near the entrance to the Seowon.
The Nu, or pavilion, was a place where students held meetings, recited poetry, or just admired the beautiful scenery.

The Seowon helped to establish local writers who focused on a specific field of study as well as scholars of Confucianism.
Thus, the objective of these institutions to acclaim teachers and train future Confucian scholars was very important.

The architecture of the Seowon was arranged into two different types of spaces - spaces for learning, such as the Lecture Hall, East Dormitory, and West Dormitory, and the shrine or area for holding such religious ceremonies as the Jesa.

The majority of Seowon's were all different, but they all had similar arrangements and structural features with a consistent architectural pattern.

Of all the spaces for learning, the lecture hall was the largest. The students gathered together and listened to the lessons of the teacher on the wooden floors.
Here they would sit facing the front of the Seowon so they could easily see the large, beautiful landscape stretched out before them.

The East and West Dormitories were where the Confucian scholars would sleep and study.
The Seowon complex is not very large or elaborate, but it possessed its own charm with its modest and dignified design.

The Shrine was a separate, holy space divided by doors and walls.
The middle door was used only by spirits or items used during the Jesa ceremony. People usually entered the room through the east door and left by the west door.

The Jangpangak was also an important building of the Seowon.
It was the place where books were made and the woodblocks used to make them were stored. As such, it served as the regional center of cultural knowledge.

One must pay special attention to the name of each building of the Seowon. Their names typically derive from a phrase from classical literature.
This was a way of reinforcing the teachings and lessons that all Confucian scholars were to follow.

As Seowon proliferated throughout the country, some received generous gifts of inscribed signboards, land, and servants from the government. Such Seowon were called Sa-aek Seowon.

As Seowon received recognition and produced brilliant and accomplished individuals, many students sought to attend these schools.
It is said that some 4,000 students passed through the country's first Seowon, Sosu Seowon.

However, as time passed, the Seowon lost sight of their original purpose, Confucian scholarship, and instead began to focus their energies on educational or political factions, soon becoming corrupt.
At the end of the Joseon Dynasty, the Regent Heungseon Daewongun, by the Seowon cheolpyeryeong act, ordered the closure of Seowon nationwide; and out of the hundreds of Seowon, only 47 survived.

Seowon still maintain their tradition as educational institutions by teaching Confucianism and fostering the gifted.
The Seowon is a place where the architecture has a deeper meaning, and one can discern the efforts of our hardworking ancestors who sought to put into practice all of life's lessons.

[Epilogue]
Must-Know Facts on Culture and Art in Korean History

1. A Joseon Seowon had the role of fostering talented individuals.
2. The first Seowon of the Joseon Dynasty was the Sosu Seowon.
3. The Sa-aek Seowon was one that had been granted in scribed sign boards, servants, and texts by the King

Seowon, a Neo-Confucian Academy