() were 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. The seowon were primarily occupied with preparing young men for the national civil service examinations. In most cases, seowon served only pupils of the aristocratic class. On 6 July 2019, UNESCO recognized a collection of nine as World Heritage Sites.
History
thumb|left|Gosan
Seowons 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 seowon introduction in Korea is not known for certain, in 1418 King Sejong issued rewards to two scholars for their work in setting up seowons in Gimje and Gwangju. The first seowon 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 seowon was established in North Gyeongsang by Ju Sebung (1495–1554). 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
- , Hamyang County, Gyeongsangnam-do
- Oksan Seowon, Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do
- Dosan Seowon, Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do
- , Jangseong County, Jeollanam-do
- , Dalseong County, Daegu Metropolitan City
- Byeongsan Seowon, Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do
- , Jeongeup, Jeollabuk-do
- , Nonsan, Chungcheongnam-do
Korean cultural heritage sites
thumb|Galcheon Seowon
In 1741 (Yeongjo 17), when seowon were abolished due the corruption associated with them and because of their role in factional politics, Hyoam Seowon , and Galcheon Seowon.