Sosu Seowon in Yeongju, North Gyeongsang Province is recommended for UNESCO World Heritage List by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS). Courtesy of Cultural Heritage Administration



By Kwon Mee-yoo



Korean neo-Confucian academies known as "seowon" are likely to become South Korea's 14th World Heritage designated by UNESCO.



According to the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA), Tuesday, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), an advisory body for UNESCO, recommended the seowon to be inscribed on UNESCO's world heritage list.



Seowon refers to private education institutions of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910). They generally consisted of a school to prepare for the Confucian-based civil service examination and a Confucian shrine.



The academies were recognized for establishing the teacher-student lineages of neo-Confucianism in Korea, with their priority on social education and memorial rites for sages.



The history of seowon dates back to 1543, when scholar Ju Se-bung established Baegungdong Seowon, which was later renamed Sosu Seowon, under King Jungjong's reign. The neo-Confucian academies nurturing Confucian scholars were popular during the Joseon Kingdom, but were closed down under King Regent Daewongun's rule.



The nine academies included in the recommendation are Sosu Seowon in Yeongju, Oksan Seowon in Gyeongju, and Dosan and Byeongsan Seowon in Andong, all in North Gyeongsang Province; Namgye Seowon in Hamyang, South Gyeongsang Province; Dodong Seowon in Daegu; Pilam Seowon in Jangseong, South Jeolla Province; Museong Seowon in Jeongeup, North Jeolla Province; and Donam Seowon in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province.





Dosan Seowon in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province is recommended for UNESCO World Heritage List by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS). Courtesy of Cultural Heritage Administration