Seonggyungwan Built and the State Schools of Joseon

After the move to Hanyang the highest academy, Seonggyungwan, was built. With the Four Schools in the capital and the hyanggyo in the provinces it made up the state school system, while village schools (seodang) and private academies (seowon) taught privately.

After moving the capital to Hanyang, Joseon began building Seonggyungwan and completed it in 1398. It had the Daeseongjeon shrine to Confucius (Munmyo), the Myeongnyundang lecture hall and the east and west dormitories. Entry was in principle for saengwon and jinsa who had passed the lower civil examination, and the Gyeongguk daejeon fixed its quota at 200. It was the highest academy, training Neo-Confucian candidates for the higher civil examination.

Secondary education fell to the Four Schools (Jung, Dong, Nam and Seo hakdang) in the capital and the hyanggyo in the provinces. Every bu, mok, gun and hyeon had one hyanggyo with a Confucian shrine and lecture hall; the court sent teachers (gyosu and hundo), and the student quota varied with the size of the county.

Private education included the seodang for elementary learning and the seowon, which began with Baegundong Seowon (1543) in the mid-16th century and became bases of the Sarim. Technical subjects such as medicine and interpreting were taught by the relevant offices, such as the Jeonuigam and Sayeogwon.