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| Nine "seowon," or Korean Neo-Confucian academies from the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list, Saturday. Yonhap |
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Nine "seowon," or Korean neo-Confucian academies from the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), became the 14th South Korean site to be inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list, Saturday.
The decision was officially made during the 43rd session of the World Heritage Committee in Baku, Azerbaijan, in recognition of "outstanding universal value."
"The seowon illustrate a historical process in which neo-Confucianism from China was adapted to Korean conditions," UNESCO said in a statement.
Seowon was a type of private education institution in the mid- and late-Joseon era and consists of a school to prepare for "gwageo," or the Confucian-based civil service examination, and a shrine to pay tribute to Confucius and other prominent Confucian figures. Major architectural elements of a seowon include lecture hall, dormitory, shrine and pavilion.
The nine inscribed academies are Sosu Seowon in Yeongju, Oksan Seowon in Gyeongju, and Dosan and Byeongsan Seowon in Andong, all in North Gyeongsang Province; Namgye Seowon in Hamyang, South Gyeongsang Province; Dodong Seowon in Daegu; Pilam Seowon in Jangseong, South Jeolla Province; Museong Seowon in Jeongeup, North Jeolla Province; and Donam Seowon in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province.
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| Chung Jae-suk, left, Cultural Heritage Administrator, cheers as nine 'seowon,' or Korean neo-Confucian academies, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list during the 43rd session of the World Heritage Committee in Baku, Azerbaijan, Saturday. Courtesy of CHA |
The nine institutions, all in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula, have many things in common, including that they trained scholars on the basis of neo-Confucianism, but each academy has its own different history and characteristics.
Sosu Seowon, formerly known as Baegungdong Seowon, is the first one in Korea's history. It was established by scholar Ju Se-bung in 1543 under King Jungjong's reign to honor An Hyang (1243-1306), a late-Goryeo era scholar who had brought neo-Confucianism to Korea from China. Ju enshrined An at Baegungdong Seowon and rites are performed there twice a year.
The architecture of the academies also resonates with their natural surroundings in rural areas. The academies were also the center of local culture and society, producing an abundance of literary works and publications.
UNESCO recognized that most of these buildings from the 16th to 17th century are preserved well without much damage to the original form and that ceremonial rites are still performed.
The Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) first submitted the seowon to the UNESCO list in 2015, but withdrew the application after the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), an advisory body for UNESCO, deferred the submission for originality and environmental issues.
The CHA supplemented its grounds for application earlier this year and received a passing mark from ICOMOS in May, which almost guarantees UNESCO inscription.
