Haro Seowon

About this place

The Haro Seowon in Yangcheon-dong, Gimcheon, traces its origin to Gyeongnyeom Seowon, which was established in 1648 (the 26th year of King Injo) under the initiative of the magistrate Jo Song-nyeon to honor five worthies: Kim Jong-jik, Choe Seon-mun, Yi Yak-dong, Jo Wi, and Kim Si-chang. After it was demolished in 1868 by the Regent Heungseon Daewongun's order abolishing the seowon, the Byeokjin Yi clan restored it single-handedly in 1984, renamed it Haro Seowon, and now enshrines only the spirit tablet of Yi Yak-dong, posthumously titled Duke Pyeongjeong. Memorial rites are held each spring and autumn: the spring rite on the first jeong day of the third lunar month, and the autumn rite performed at the seowon in place of an ancestral grave rite. The buildings within the grounds include the outer triple gate Yeongsamun, the shrine Cheongbaeksa, the outer gate Yeojaemun and inner gate Sukgyeongmun of the ritual space, the lecture hall Nochondang, Yeomsudang and Piryudang corresponding to the eastern and western dormitories, and a stele pavilion. Yi Yak-dong, the enshrined figure, passed the augmented civil service examination in 1451 (the 1st year of King Munjong); after serving as Naval Commander of the Left Gyeongsang Province in 1474 (the 5th year of King Seongjong), he held such posts as Magistrate of Gyeongju, Second Minister of Taxation, Deputy Privy Councilor, Governor of Jeolla Province, Left Vice-Mayor of Hanseong, Second Minister of Personnel, and Governor of Gaeseong, before retiring from office as a Privy Councilor in 1491.