[Provided by the Andong Hahoe Village Preservation Society]
[Provided by the Andong Hahoe Village Preservation Society]

The Andong Hahoe Village Preservation Society in North Gyeongsang Province held the "Forum on Revitalizing Korea's Seowon" at Byeongsan Seowon on Thursday and Friday as part of the 2026 World Heritage Festival Andong program.

The event drew about 50 participants, including administrators from the nine seowon — traditional Confucian academies — inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, along with officials from the Korea Seowon Management Council and its integrated management center.

The first day's program began that afternoon with participant registration, followed by an "almyo" ceremony at Jondeoksa Shrine within Byeongsan Seowon, in which attendees paid their respects to the Joseon-era scholar and statesman Ryu Seong-ryong.

In the opening presentation of the main forum, speaker Hwang Sang-hun said seowon could achieve broader public appeal and greater relevance by repositioning themselves not merely as religious sites but as "spaces of scholarship and philosophy."

The second presenter, Park Dae-jin, chief executive of Hero Co., drew on a decade of hands-on experience running Mukgye Seowon to share practical insights on how to make seowon "places people want to return to."

The general discussion took place in Ipgyodang, the lecture hall of Byeongsan Seowon, in a "traditional floor-seating forum" format — participants sat facing one another on cushions rather than at a conventional table.

Attendees exchanged views freely and vigorously in the original space where seonbi scholars once pursued learning, debate and dialogue.

Ryu Han-uk, chairman of the Korea Seowon Management Council, who moderated the discussion, said establishing a solid legal and institutional framework was urgently needed to sustain the revitalization of seowon over the long term.

In the evening, participants gathered for a welcome dinner on the lawn of Byeongsan Seowon before watching "Peace Remembered by Byeongsan," a media art laser show that used cutting-edge technology to express the historical significance of the academy.

The gathering continued late into the night with informal exchanges at an outdoor evening gathering in the courtyard of the east dormitory, held beneath the moonlight.

Ryu Yeol-ha, chairman of the Hahoe Village Preservation Society, said the organization would take the lead in turning seowon into living cultural heritage that future generations can fully enjoy, drawing on the valuable ideas produced through the forum.


kbj7653@heraldcorp.com