The Kukchagam (), known at times as Kukhak () or Sŏnggyun'gwan (), was the highest educational institution of the
Korea
Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...
n
Goryeo
Goryeo (; ) was a Korean state founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korea, Korean Peninsula until the establishment of Joseon in 1392. Goryeo achieved what has b ...
dynasty. It was located at the capital,
Gaegyeong (modern-day Kaesong), and provided advanced training in the
Chinese classics
The Chinese classics or canonical texts are the works of Chinese literature authored prior to the establishment of the imperial Qin dynasty in 221 BC. Prominent examples include the Four Books and Five Classics in the Neo-Confucian traditi ...
. It was established in 992 during the reign of
Seongjong. Its name has been changed to Songgyungam in 1298 and to Songgyungwan in 1308. Its current name is Koryo (/Goryeo) Songgyungwan University/University of Light Industry. A similar institution, known as the ''Gukhak'', had been established under
Unified Silla, but it was not successful.
The Kukchagam was part of Seongjong's general program of Confucian reform, together with the ''
gwageo
The () or ''kwagŏ'' were the national civil service examinations under the Goryeo (918–1392) and Joseon (1392–1897) periods of Korea. Typically quite demanding, these tests measured candidates' ability of writing composition and knowledge ...
'' civil service examinations and the ''
hyanggyo'' provincial schools. It formed the cornerstone of the Confucian educational system he envisioned. In the waning days of Goryeo, the Kukchagam again became a centerpiece of reform through the policies of the early
Neo-Confucian
Neo-Confucianism (, often shortened to ''lǐxué'' 理學, literally "School of Principle") is a Morality, moral, Ethics, ethical, and metaphysics, metaphysical Chinese philosophy influenced by Confucianism, which originated with Han Yu (768� ...
scholar
An Hyang.
Courses of study
In the beginning, the Kukchagam provided a total of six courses of study. Of these, three divisions were restricted to children of the highest-ranking officials: Gukjahak, Taehak, and Samunhak. These were a total of nine years long, and focused on the Confucian classics.
The other three divisions were open to children of officials as low as the 8th rank: Seohak (secretarial training), Sanhak (
arithmetic
Arithmetic is an elementary branch of mathematics that deals with numerical operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. In a wider sense, it also includes exponentiation, extraction of roots, and taking logarithms.
...
), and Yulhak (law). Each of these took six years to complete, and focused on technical training with a heavy admixture of the classics.
A seventh division was added in 1104, in the reign of
Yejong: Gangyejae (강예재), providing military training. This was the first recorded occasion of a Korean dynasty providing formal training in the military arts. Due to tensions between the aristocracy and the military, it was soon removed from the curriculum, in 1133.
Finances
Seongjong's original edict of 992 provided land and slaves to support the school. However, the cost of tuition remained prohibitive for most students not from wealthy families. In 1304, An Hyang levied a new tax which officials of the top 6 ranks had to pay in silver, and those of the lower ranks in cloth. This tax was used to defray the cost of tuition for the Kukchagam's students.
Names
The name was changed to Gukhak in 1275, upon the ascension of
King Chungnyeol. It was changed to Seonggyungam in 1298 and to Sŏnggyun'gwan in 1308, but then reverted to Kukchagam during the reign of
Gongmin in 1358. The Sŏnggyun'gwan name was adopted again in 1362, and continued in use until the fall of Goryeo thirty years later.
See also
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History of Korea
The Lower Paleolithic era on the Korean Peninsula and in Manchuria began roughly half a million years ago.
Christopher J. Norton, "The Current State of Korean Paleoanthropology", (2000), ''Journal of Human Evolution'', 38: 803–825.
The earl ...
*
History of education
The history of education, like other history, extends at least as far back as the first written records recovered from ancient civilizations. Historical studies have included virtually every nation. The earliest known formal school was develope ...
*
Guozijian
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Gukhak
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Seonggyungwan (successor to the Kukchagam)
References
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{{coord missing, North Korea
Buildings and structures of Goryeo
Education in Goryeo
Historic Monuments and Sites in Kaesong