Chilsan Seowon (Confucian Academy)

About this place

Seowon were private educational institutions established in the local Joseon period to honor eminent Confucian scholars through rites and to educate the local population. Chilsan Seowon, located in Chilsanri, Imcheon-myeon, Buyeo-gun, was founded in the 13th year of King Sukjong's reign (1687) to honor Yu Gye (pen name Sinam, 1607-1664), a mid-Joseon civil official and Confucian scholar recognized as one of the Five Worthies of the Chungcheong Confucian community and a student of Kim Jang-saeng. In the 23rd year of King Sukjong's reign (1697), the academy received a royal signboard bearing the name 'Chilsan', becoming a state-recognized royal-plaque academy (saeok seowon). It was closed under Regent Heungseon Daewongun's edict to abolish private academies, then restored in 1967. Within the academy compound are the shrine, the lecture hall (gangdang), and a storehouse (jangpan-gak) that holds original woodblocks of Yu Gye's collected works.