Seowon

 were the most common educational institutions of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. They were private institutions, and combined the functions of a Confucian shrine and a Confucian school. In educational terms, the were primarily occupied with preparing young men for the national civil service examinations. In most cases, served only pupils of the aristocratic  class. On 6 July 2019, UNESCO recognized a collection of nine as World Heritage Sites.

History
first appeared in Korea in the early Joseon Dynasty, whose establishment were driven mainly by the Sarim Neo-Confucian scholars. While the exact year of introduction in Korea is not known for certain, in 1418 King Sejong issued rewards to two scholars for their work in setting up  in Gimje and Gwangju. The first to receive a royal charter was the Sosu Seowon in Punggi, presided over by Toegye, which was given a hanging board by King Myeongjong in 1550. While historian Michael Shin mentions that the earliest was established in North Gyeongsang by Ju Sebung (1495–1554).

Large numbers of were established by leading  (literati), or by local groups of  families. Some of the Sarim scholars who retired to villages in the wake of literati purges of the 16th century used the as their political bases.

They were modeled after early private Chinese academies of classical learning. The latter originated in the 8th century under the Tang dynasty, and were later dismantled under the Yuan dynasty to become preparatory schools for the imperial examinations under government control.

Most were closed by an edict of the regent Daewon-gun in the turbulent final years of the 19th century. He banned the unauthorized construction of in 1864, and removed their tax exemption in 1868; finally, in 1871, he ordered all but a handful closed. The provincial were outraged by these measures, and this is among the reasons that Daewon-gun was driven from power in 1873; however, the  remained closed.

World Heritage Site
, Korean Neo-Confucian Academies is a World Heritage Site consisting of a selection of nine :


 * Sosu Seowon, Yeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do
 * Namgye Seowon, Hamyang County, Gyeongsangnam-do
 * Oksan Seowon, Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do
 * Dosan Seowon, Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do
 * Piram Seowon, Jangseong County, Jeollanam-do
 * Dodong Seowon, Dalseong County, Daegu Metropolitan City
 * Byeongsan Seowon, Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do
 * Museong Seowon, Jeongeup, Jeollabuk-do
 * Donam Seowon, Nonsan, Chungcheongnam-do

Korean cultural heritage sites
In 1741 (Yeongjo 17), when seowon were abolished due the corruption associated with them and because of their role in factional politics, the number of seowon was close to 1,000.

Currently, approximately 150 seowon are cultural heritage sites in South Korea, with many having been restored. They continue to function as shrines to Confucian scholars who performed some significant service to Joseon, contributed to Joseon learning, or were simply family members, but seowons also may also be used for events, such as academic colloquia. See for example, Gangseon Seowon, Hyoam Seowon, and Galcheon Seowon.