Sosuseowon, which is located in Yeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do, is Korea’s first seowon. Its design and construction were spearheaded by Ju Se-bung (1495-1554), the magistrate of Punggi-eup, in 1543 to preserve the memory of An Hyang, a scholar from Sunheung-myeon who brought Neo-Confucianism to Korean soil in late the Goryeo dynasty. After a shrine was built to house the spiritual tablets of An Hyang (1243-1306), Baegundongseowon was constructed to the east of the shrine to teach Confucianism. Later, Baegundongseowon became Korea’s first royally sponsored seowon (after Yi Hwang received a name board in 1550 engraved with “Sosuseowon” by King Myeongjong). It received supplies of books (such as Four Books and Five Classics and other Confucian classics) and slaves—a sign that its social function was recognized by the state. The word “sosu” means “to revive and advance the broken pieces of Confucianism.” Sosuseowon commemorates four individuals: An Hyang, who brought Neo-Confucianism to Korea; his descendants, (prominent scholars) An Chuk and An Bo; and Ju Se-bung.

Right next to Sosuseowon is a large forest of old pine trees that were planted by the literati (and nicknamed “scholar trees”) in the hope that the trees would be influenced by the powerful aura of the seowon. To the east flows the clear waters of Jukgye Stream, which makes Sosuseowon surrounded by a beautiful natural environment on all sides. As we can see from the two stone flagpole supports that stand in front of the seowon, the land occupied by the seowon was originally the site of a Buddhist temple, Suksusa Temple.

To the east of the seowon’s main gate, Jidomun, is Gyeongryeomjeong, a pavilion for rest and relaxation. The first building that is visible upon entering the seowon is the main lecture hall, Myeongnyundang, which faces east. Sosuseowon is made up of three spaces: for veneration, teaching, and rest. The eastern part is devoted to learning and teaching, while the western part is devoted to veneration. This is quite different from the prototypical layout in which the learning and veneration spaces are at the front and rear sections of the seowon. The layout of Sosuseowon can be explained as adhering to the traditional Korean view that the “western side is best.”

Next to Dongjae and Seojae (which are also called Jirakjae and Hakgujae, respectively), which are the student dormitory buildings located above Myeongnyundang to the right that form an upside-down “L”-shape, are Ilsinjae and Jikbangjae. Munseonggongmyo is located to the northwest of Myeongnyundang, and is surrounded by a low, well-maintained wall and faces south.

Record of Jukgye, which was written by Ju Se-bung, includes a list of principles that must be followed by all inhabitants of Sosuseowon, including: conducting rituals with devotion, having respect for the teachings of meritorious persons, making sure the shrine is well-kept, using materials and money frugally, and making sure that books are in good condition. This set of rules later influenced many subsequently founded seowon.

In 1871, the eighth year of King Gojong, the royal decree to close down the seowon led to many being destroyed. Today, however, we still have many seowon, each of which has a special history and characteristics. In today’s fast-changing sociocultural environment, people are beginning to think about how the seowon can adapt to modern society and play a role in our future. We hope thatSosuseowon, as Korea’s first seowon, Sosuseowon will play a leading role in this process.