From the Taehak and Gukhak to the Gukjagam and Seonggyungwan, modern schools and the colonial education ordinances — state schools that trained officials and the private schools that filled the gaps
Christian Bolz · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
| Period | Institutions | Key points |
|---|---|---|
| Goguryeo (Sosurim, 372) | Taehak (capital), gyeongdang (provinces) | Confucian classics; gyeongdang taught reading and archery |
| Silla (682 · 788) | Gukhak (Sinmun); dokseo sampumgwa (Wonseong) | Analects and Classic of Filial Piety; limited by true-bone resistance |
| Balhae (King Mun) | Jujagam | Highest academy |
| Goryeo (Seongjong, 992) | Gukjagam; classics scholars sent to 12 mok | Confucian training of officials |
| Mid-Goryeo (11th – 12th c.) | Choe Chung’s academy, 12 private schools → state revival | Seojeokpo; seven courses and Yanghyeongo; six colleges |
| Late Goryeo (Gongmin, 1367) | Seonggyungwan rebuilt | Pure Confucian training; rise of new scholar-officials |
| Joseon (1398 –) | Seonggyungwan, Four Schools, hyanggyo (state) | Saengwon and jinsa enter; a hyanggyo in every county |
| Joseon (1543 –) | Seowon (Baegundong → Sosu, royal charter); seodang | Sarim bases → cut to 47 in 1871 |
| Opening era (1883 · 1886) | Wonsan Haksa (first private), Yugyeong Gongwon (first state) | Paichai and Ewha (missionaries) |
| Second Gabo Reform (1895) | Rescript on education; Hanseong Normal School, primary schools | Moral, physical, intellectual training; modern system begins |
| First Education Ordinance (1911) | Four-year common schools | "Loyal subjects"; Japanese and vocational training |
| Second and third ordinances (1922 · 1938) | Six-year schools, university rules → Korean optional (1938) | Keijō Imperial University (1924); national schools (1941) |
King Sosurim adopted Buddhism through the monk Sundo from Former Qin, founded the Taehak academy and issued a law code.
King Sinmun founded the Gukhak, a Confucian academy to train officials steeped in Confucian political ideals who would support the throne.
King Mun made peace with Tang and adopted its institutions, creating the Three Departments and Six Ministries; he used the era name Daeheung and opened the Silla Road.
King Wonseong graded students of the National Academy into three ranks by their reading of the Confucian classics, for use in appointing officials.
Adopting Choe Seung-ro’s memorial, King Seongjong built the two-chancellery, six-ministry system, set up twelve provincial governorships and founded the National University.
When the retired chief minister Choe Chung opened his Nine-Course Academy, twelve private schools flourished; as state schools declined, later kings revived them.
As the Yuan gave way to the Ming, King Gongmin purged the pro-Yuan faction, recovered the Ssangseong Commandery, and, through Sin Don, curbed the magnates to restore royal power.
After the move to Hanyang the highest academy, Seonggyungwan, was built. With the Four Schools in the capital and the hyanggyo in the provinces it made up the state school system, while village schools (seodang) and private academies (seowon) taught privately.
Ju Se-bung founded the first seowon academy at Punggi; in 1550, at Yi Hwang’s request, it received a royal charter as Sosu Seowon.
The Daewongun closed all but 47 of the country’s private Confucian academies, having already abolished the Mandongmyo shrine of the Noron faction in 1865.
Residents of the treaty port of Wonsan raised funds to found Wonsan Haksa, Korea’s first modern private school.
American Protestant missionaries founded Paichai Hakdang (1885, Appenzeller) and Ewha Hakdang (1886, Mary Scranton) in Jeong-dong, Seoul. Ewha was Korea’s first modern school for women.
The government invited the American teachers Hulbert, Gilmore and Bunker and founded Yugyeong Gongwon, the first modern state school.
Gojong proclaimed the Rescript on Building the Nation through Education, then founded the Hanseong Normal School and primary schools, laying down a modern school system.
The Government-General issued the first Joseon Education Ordinance to raise "loyal and good subjects", setting four-year common schools and allowing only low-level education centred on Japanese and vocational training.
Yi Sang-jae and others formed a society to found a university with Korean funds and raised money nationwide. Japanese obstruction defeated it.
After the March First Movement Japan issued the second Joseon Education Ordinance, extending common schools to six years, making Korean a required subject and providing for universities.
Having launched the war with China, Japan proclaimed "Japan and Korea as one body" and tried to turn Koreans into loyal imperial subjects, forcing them to recite the Oath of Imperial Subjects, worship at Shinto shrines and bow toward the imperial palace.
Seventeenth king of Goguryeo, who adopted Buddhism, founded the Taehak and issued a law code
Munmu's son and 31st king of Silla, who crushed Kim Heum-dol's revolt and strengthened royal power through the National Academy, the nine provinces and office-land grants
Wonhyo's son, who systematized idu to read the Confucian classics in Korean and wrote the parable Hwawanggye for King Sinmun
Head-rank-six Confucian scholar of Silla whose skill at diplomatic letters served Kings Muyeol and Munmu
Balhae's third king, who used the era name Daeheung, made peace with Tang, set up the Three Departments and Six Ministries, moved the capital to Sanggyeong and opened the Silla Road
38th king of Silla (Kim Gyeong-sin), who created the Dokseo Sampumgwa to select officials by their reading of the Confucian classics
Sixth king of Goryeo, who adopted Choe Seung-ro’s 28-article memorial and built a Confucian central and local administration
Confucian scholar of Silla head-rank-six origin whose 28-article memorial shaped Seongjong’s Confucian state
Chief minister turned teacher whose Nine-Course Academy led the private schools; called the "Confucius of the East"
Eleventh king of Goryeo, whose reign marked the height of the dynasty; father of Uicheon
Sixteenth king of Goryeo, who sent Yun Gwan to build the Nine Forts and revived state schooling