Hoam Seowon

About this place

A seowon was a private educational institution of the Joseon period, established to hold memorial rites for outstanding Confucian scholars and to educate local residents. The Hoam Seowon is a late Joseon-period Confucian academy with Yi Seo, who served as Chief State Councillor (Yeongui-jeong) during the reign of King Taejong, as its principal figure, along with Sim Guryeong, An Seong, So Yeon, So Sanbok, and Yi Dang — six Confucian worthies whose tablets are enshrined. Yi Seo's ancestral home was Hongseong, and his pen name was Songgang. He was born in 1332 during the Goryeo period and passed the civil service examination in 1357. After the founding of Joseon, he served as Inspector-General in 1394 and was elevated to Right State Councillor, then Chief State Councillor, receiving the title of Prince. His posthumous name was Mungangong. The compound includes a shrine, lecture hall, ritual preparation room (jeonsa-cheong), outer and inner gates, and memorial rites are held on the 6th day of the 3rd lunar month each year.