Suamseowon Confucian Academy

This is a seowon, a Confucian academy, built to commemorate the scholarship and virtuous conduct of five worthies: Yi Seon-je, Yi Jo-won, Yi Jung-ho, Yi Bal and Yi Gil. Pilmun Yi Seon-je (dates of birth and death unknown) was an early Joseon civil official who held posts including Deputy Minister of Taxation and Academician of the Yemun-gwan. He took an active part in compiling the Sejong sillok, the Annals of King Sejong, and in revising factual errors in the Goryeosa, the History of Goryeo. Yi Jo-won, Yi Jung-ho, Yi Bal and Yi Gil were all descendants of Yi Seon-je who held various government posts. Built in 1624, the second year of King Injo, the academy was closed in 1868, the fifth year of Emperor Gojong, under Heungseon Daewongun's order abolishing seowon; an altar was temporarily erected in 1901 to continue the memorial rites, and the academy was restored in 1919, continuing to the present. The grounds contain a shrine, a lecture hall, and the entrance gates Naesammun and Oesammun, the inner and outer three-bay gates. The shrine enshrines the spirit tablet of Yi Seon-je at the centre, flanked by the tablets of the other four worthies, and measures three kan across the front and one and a half kan along the side, with a gabled (matbae) roof forming the shape of the character 人 (person) when viewed from the side. The lecture hall was used both as a place of education and as a meeting place for Confucian scholars.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Gangjin, Jeonnam & Gwangju

Designation

Provincial Monument · 시도기념물