Oam Seowon

About this place

Oam Seowon is a Confucian academy of the late Joseon period located in Nameun-ri, Suryun-myeon, Seongju-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do. In 1714 (40th year of King Sukjong), the local Confucian community built Unam Seowon at Oam and enshrined Choe Hang-gyeong (1560–1638), but it was demolished in 1741 (17th year of King Yeongjo) under the order to reorganize the seowon. Later, in 1781 (5th year of King Jeongjo), it was restored through the consensus of the Confucian community and given the name plaque 'Oam Seowon'. In 1782 (6th year of King Jeongjo), Oam Seowon was built on the site of Jukheon Jeongsa, and Choe Hang-gyeong's two sons, Choe Eun (1583–1656) and Choe Rin (1597–1644), were additionally enshrined. It was again demolished in 1865 (2nd year of King Gojong); then in 1918 the descendants built a seodang on the site where the academy had stood, and it was repaired in 1977. In 1985 the descendants built the large lecture hall and Gwangyeongru. In 2002 a descendant, Choe Chang-gon, built Hyodeoksa, and in 2009 Oamjeong was built with government support. The main building is a single-eaved hip-and-gable-roofed structure measuring five bays across the front and one and a half bays deep. Its structure is of the 'jungdang-hyeopsil type', with a three-bay wooden-floored hall at the center and one-and-a-half-bay ondol rooms on either side. The shrine, Hyodeoksa, is a three-bay gable-roofed structure. The ritual house stands outside the academy facing east, and Oamjeong lies to its right.