Korea, School Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

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Why Should I Look at This Collection?
Koreans have traditionally attached great importance to education, a view that continues to this day. According to ancient history texts, formal education in Korea began during the Three Kingdoms period (57 B.C.-A.D.668) under the influence of the Chinese educational system.

It was in 372 that a state-operated institute for higher education known as T'aehak (National Confucian Academy) was established in the Koguryo Kingdom (37 B.C.-A.D.668). A similar institution for higher education named Kukh'ak (National Confucian College) was set up in 682 during the Shilla Kingdom (57 B.C.-A.D.935). Shilla also established a unique training system called the hwarangdo (The way of "Flower of Youth Corps"), to educate the elite youth of the aristocratic class. Thehwarangdo proved instrumental in unifying the Korean Peninsula in the seventh century. The Paekche Kingdom (18 B.C.-A.D.660) also emphasized education and produced numerous scholars in various academic disciplines, many of whom made important contributions to early Japanese culture.

Higher education in all these kingdoms tended to be focused on the study of Chinese classics. Although the succeeding Koryo Dynasty (918-1392) adopted Buddhism as its state religion, Confucian studies continued to have a major influence on academic circles and the educational system. The institutionalization of the civil service examination in the mid-10th century set the pattern for educational reform, by directing the role of education toward preparing young men for public service. Koryo founded a state institution for higher education called Kukchagam (National University) in 992 in its capital, Kaesong. It was also about that time that the central government began to dispatch scholars to provincial areas to implement education for local residents.

By the late 14th century, however, Buddhism gradually declined. The founders of the Choson Dynasty (1392-1910) turned to Confucianism instead as the source of basic principles for national politics, ethics and social institutions. The highest educational institution during the Choson period was the Songgyungwan (National Confucian Academy), which also served as the center of Confucian studies. On the secondary level, there were two kinds of schools: haktang in the capital of Hanyang (today's Seoul) and hyanggyo in villages. Private schools called sodang carried out primary education.

Education during the Choson Dynasty was mainly viewed as a means to prepare young aristocratic men for future public service. Examinations in the Chinese classics were the major criteria for qualification. This tradition has survived as the backbone of Korean education system until the late 19th century, when Korea opened its door to the West.

What is in This Collection?
This is a collection of school records from Korea for 1958. Images will be published as they become available.

For Help Reading These Records
These records are in Korean, written using Chinese hanja characters. For help reading the records, see the following resources: General Information: Reading Hangul: (Korean letters) Reading Hanja: (Chinese characters)
 * South Korean Language and Languages
 * Korean Genealogy Guide online
 * Korean names
 * HanGul Letters
 * HanGul Syllables
 * FamilySearch Video Tutorials (for Korean speakers
 * Background on HanJa Characters
 * Translating Hanja and Hangul

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:
 * Family Name (성)
 * Year (년)
 * Town, City or Village (동, 시 or 면)
 * Province or County (지방, 군)

How Do I Search This Collection?
To begin your search it is helpful to know:
 * The person’s name
 * Hanja characters of the person’s name
 * Location where the person may have been living

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select Province (도, 시), City or County (시,군)
 * 2) Select 제명 (Title), 년 (Year), and 권 (Volume) and/or 페이지 (Page) to view the images.

How Do I Analyze the Results?
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I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct
 * Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives
 * Titles may be clues to property ownership, occupations, rank, or status within the community

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name
 * If your ancestor used multiple names throughout their life, look for all their names

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Korea.
 * North Korea Record Finder
 * South Korea Record Finder

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Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.