Operation of 'Children's Seodang Experience Classroom' at Dongho Dokseodang, where Teacher Yulgok wrote Dongho Mundap

Planning Various Experience Classes to Learn Ancestral Wisdom Such as Etiquette, Tea Ceremony, and Calligraphy at This Year's Neighborhood Learning Center with Deep Historical Tradition and Culture

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jeong Won-oh) is operating a ‘Children’s Seodang Experience Hanja Class’ at Dongho Seodang this month.

This program is designed for lower-grade elementary school students and will be conducted in three sessions by a Hanja specialist instructor with engaging storytelling on ‘The 10 Heavenly Stems, 12 Earthly Branches, and Zodiac Stories,’ ‘The 24 Solar Terms,’ and ‘Children’s Myeongsimbogam (Admonitions for Children).’

At the first session on the 17th, five participants will attend wearing hanbok, and the program will be held both offline and online. The program, running until July 1, is open to anyone online via the Seongdong-gu Office YouTube channel.

Dongho Seodang, with a deep history as a private study hall, was restored last November on the 5th floor of the Oksu-dong government building along with a small library. The hanok-style structure is designed to make visitors feel as if they have stepped into an old Joseon Dynasty ‘Seodang.’ The small library houses about 560 history-related books, allowing residents easy access to history and tradition.

Established in the 12th year of King Jungjong’s reign in the Joseon Dynasty (1517) in the areas formerly known as Dumopo (豆毛浦) and Dongho (東湖) in present-day Oksu-dong, Dongho Seodang served as a place for academic research and book reading for about 75 years until it was destroyed during the Imjin War.

Renowned scholars and officials of the time such as Yi Hwang, Yi I, Yu Seong-ryong, and Shin Suk-ju passed through Dongho Seodang. Notably, Yi I studied private texts at Dongho Seodang and authored the Dongho Mundap (Dongho Questions and Answers), which he presented to King Seonjo.

The district plans to continue the legacy of Dongho Seodang as a neighborhood learning center where local children can learn the wisdom of their ancestors through various experiential classes such as etiquette, tea ceremony, and calligraphy, emphasizing its high historical and educational value.

Jeong Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, “Our ancestors cultivated character and wisdom through reading and academic research at the restored Seodang, which revives our precious history. We hope children will enjoy learning and gain the wisdom of our ancestors through the Seodang experience held in this historically significant space. We will continue to strive to become a premium educational city that embraces all generations.”