부산역사교육체험관

During the Joseon Dynasty, educational institutions were established across each county and district to spread Confucian values, strengthen local administration, and promote social stability.

In Busan, educational facilities such as local Confucian schools, private academies, and village schools were also established, laying the foundation for the city’s modern education.

With the opening of Busan Port in 1876, modernization began to transform both society and education. Visionary pioneers in Busan recognized the need for learning suited to a new era and devoted their efforts to establishing modern schools. However, following Japan’s annexation of Korea in 1910, the nation entered a difficult period under colonial rule, when the free use of the Korean language and script was strictly forbidden.

During the Japanese occupation, despite the loss of national sovereignty, the people of Busan strove to preserve their cultural and national identity through education. Students participated in independence movements both within and beyond their schools, and even when teaching and learning Korean language and history were prohibited, their passion for study never waned.

Throughout these challenging times, learning became the hope of the nation and a driving force that awakened pride. Education was more than the transmission of knowledge-it was the force that preserved national identity and kindled the flame of hope for the future.

During the Joseon Dynasty, educational institutions were established in both the capital, Hanyang, and throughout the provinces. Schools were classified as public or private depending on their founding authority. Public institutions included the Royal Academy, Seonggyungwan; the Four District Schools(Sabu Hakdang); and local Confucian schools(hyanggyo). Private institutions included Confucian schools, private academies(seowon), and village schools(seodang). Although educational opportunities were theoretically open to all social classes except the cheonmin, or outcasts, in practice, most students came from nobility(yangban) [sometimes also referred to as the aristocracy].

Seodangs were village study halls established throughout Joseon communities, serving as neighborhood learning halls. Students learned reading, writing, and composition through classical texts such as the Thousand Character Classic (천자문, Cheonjamun, 千字文), Lessons for the Young (동몽선습, Dongmongseonseup, 童蒙先習), Four-Character Elementary Learning (사자소학, Sajasohak, 四字小學), Precious Mirror for Fostering the Mind (명심보감, Myeongsimbogam, 明心寶鑑), and Vegetable Roots Discourse (채근담, Chaegundam, 菜根譚).

In Busan, examples of seodang included Sisuljae, Samnakjae, and Yukyeongjae. These schools were attended by children from both the nobility(yangban)[sometimes also referred to as the aristocracy] and the commoner families(pyeongmin). Instruction was individualized according to each student’s level of learning, regardless of age.

Seonggyungwan(성균관, 成均館) - The Royal Academy

The Royal Academy(Seonggyungwan) was the highest educational institution in Joseon and functioned as the national academy. Its purpose was to train scholars and officials equipped with profound Confucian knowledge through both education and research. Students performed ancestral rites to Confucian sages and studied texts such as the Mencius (Maengja, 맹자, 孟子) and the Book of Songs (Sigyeong, 시경, 詩經). Those who passed the preliminary state examinations (sogwa, 소과, 小科) and earned the titles jinsa (진사, 進士) or saengwon (생원, 生員) were admitted to the Seonggyungwan.

Gwageo (과거, 科擧) - The State Examination System

The Gwageo was the state examination system for selecting government officials. It consisted of three stages: the preliminary exam (chosi, 초시, 初試), the secondary exam (boksi, 복시, 覆試), and the final palace exam (jeonsi, 전시, 殿試). From the chosi, 240 candidates were - 3 - selected, and the boksi reduced the number to 33. In the jeonsi, where the king personally posed the questions, the top candidates were ranked into three grades-gapgwa for first to third place, eulgwa for fourth to tenth, and byeonggwa for the remaining successful

Seonbi (선비, 士人) - The Daily Life of a Scholar

The daily routine of a scholar or seonbi, began each day at dawn by dressing neatly and greeting their parents with courtesy before devoting themselves to study. Through constant reading and reflection, they sought to cultivate moral integrity and contribute to a well-ordered society. Their children learned by observing these disciplined habits, developing literacy, culture, and proper conduct through study at the seodang, thus internalizing the moral duties of a virtuous person.

Cheonjamun, or The Thousand Character Classic, was a primer used for beginners learning Classical Chinese. This edition, a woodblock print from the mid-Joseon period, was produced by calligrapher Han Seokbong(한석봉). The book is composed of 250 phrases, each containing four characters, allowing learners to study a total of 1,000 unique Chinese characters without repetition. The content covers a wide range of topics, including moral instruction, general knowledge , history, human relationships, ethics, education, and daily life.

Dongmongpilsup, was a textbook used in seodangduring the Joseon Dynasty, created for children who had completed their study of the Thousand Character Classic. The book teaches moral and historical principles through the Five Human Relationships emphasized in Confucianism and through the Hongnon, a section recounting the histories of Korea and China. This lithograph edition dates from the post-liberation period.

A nation's prosperity rests upon the enlightenment of its people; education is, indeed, the foundation for preserving the nation. In 1895 King Gojong(고종, 高宗) proclaimed the Educational Reform Edict(Gyoyuk Ip-guk Joseo), launching modern educational reforms to cultivate talented individuals “healthy in body” (체, che, 體), “righteous in character” (덕, deok, 德), and “wise in mind” (지, ji, 智) King emphasized that the path to national strength and prosperity lay in fostering self-reliance through education.

As interest and aspiration for education grew, modern schools also began to be established in Busan.

The rise of modern schools in Busan was not the work of the state but of forward-looking individuals, religious leaders, and local notables. Convinced that modern education could forge the talent needed to weather the nation’s crisis, these founders set up the city’s first modern classrooms themselves.

To this end, they pooled their private wealth, penny by penny, to build the schools. The result was a wave of modern private institutions: Gaeseong School and Ilshin Girls’ School (1895), Dongnaebu School (1898), Dadaepo Practical School (1902), Myeongjeong School (1906), Gupo Gungmyeong School (1907), and a number of other private modern schools emerged.

Dongraebu School enrolled an average of 40 students each year, between 1898 and 1903. Most pupils were about 14, though some were over 20.

Private Kaesung School averaged 60–70 students a year during its first decade. Most were 16 or 17, but the oldest pupil was 30. A substantial number of students were dropping out and founding principal Aranami Heiichirō wrote that the country’s urgent demand for “new-education” talent sent many teenagers straight into jobs or overseas to pursue further studies, rather than waiting to graduate.

After the Treaty of 1905, Korea’s patriotic enlightenment movement gathered momentum as part of the struggle to restore national sovereignty. One of its key ideas was that establishing education centers for women would strengthen national competitiveness.

Foreign missionaries already in the country built schools that opened classrooms to women; in Busanjin they founded Ilsin Girls’ School, the peninsula’s first modern girl’s academy.

The Birth of Private Ilsin Girl’s School

Private Ilsin Girls’ School the first female school in Busan and the opening venture of the Australian Presbyterian Mission began in 1892, when missionaries B. Menzies and Perry took three orphaned girls into their Jwacheon-dong home. Intent on training future Korean missionaries, they started lessons at once; more girls soon gathered. In 1895 the couple opened a day-school, christening it “Ilsin” - “daily new” - a promise that its rough, tiny start would flourish with each passing day.

“To elevate a nation, wives and mothers must be educated.”
- B. Menzies

Here's what this video is about: After the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty of 1910, Korea lost its sovereignty, and the Government-General of Korea began in earnest to establish a colonial education system. The Japanese authorities revised the ‘Joseon Education Ordinance’ four times, reorganizing education to suit the ruling policies of each period. Through this, they revealed their intent to limit Koreans’ learning opportunities and eradicate/diminish the national spirit.

Despite such oppression, students in Busan strengthened their resolve for independence and carried out anti-Japanese movements both inside and outside of school.

On August 22, 1910, the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty was signed. It was the day when Japan invaded Korea and illegally stripped the nation of its sovereignty.
In response, students in Busan formed a secret society called Gusedan(구세단) and led the anti-Japanese national movement. “I devoted myself to quietly recruiting comrades and met every day with friends such as Park Jae-hyeok, Kim In-tae, Kim Byeong-tae, Kim Yeong-ju, Jang Ji-hyeong, and Oh Taek to plan how to spread the independence movement.”

From the memoirs of Choi Chun-taek (최천택), a member of Gusedan

Kim Eung-su (1901–1979, independence activist), a student at Ilsin Girls’ School, was arrested by the police for taking part in the manse demonstration on March 11, 1919, in Jwacheon-dong, Busan, while holding a Taegeukgi. Due to the severe torture she suffered in prison, her health deteriorated, and she was granted parole from Busan Prison in August of the same year.

At that time, the police often hurried to release prisoners on parole when they became critically ill from torture in order to avoid having them die inside the prison. The crime recorded on her parole certificate is ‘Violation of the Public Order Act,’ and the sentence length (five years in prison) is also written there.

This is the parole pass of Kim Eung-su (김응수) (1901–1979, independence activist), a student at Ilsin Girls’ School. Kim was supposed to be imprisoned until September 27 for her participation in the manse movement, but she was released on parole on August 17 after her health deteriorated, due to severe torture.

At the time, even when prisoners were paroled while still having time left on their sentence, they were required to obtain permission from the Japanese authorities to be issued a parole passport, in order to travel. This passport states that she would depart on September 15 and arrive in Busanjin on the 16th.

The Government General of Korea, established by Japan, issued the and carried out colonial education designed for military rule. Teachers armed with guns and swords taught Japanese, enforced obedience to the emperor, and restricted access to higher education. After the March 1 Movement in 1919, however, the Japanese authorities issued the , claiming that they respected Korean culture and customs.

In reality, this was an empty policy. It intensified censorship of the Korean press and weakened the teaching of Korean history and geography, while strengthening Japanese language education. Meanwhile, in Busan, as the desire to regain national sovereignty through education spread, the number of applicants who wished to enter ordinary primary schools and advance to higher schools increased significantly, but the number of schools was far from sufficient.

Lee In-hui (이인희), a fifth-year student at the Second Busan Public Commercial School, participated in the protests, and subsequently was expelled on December 27, 1940.

This is a middle-school–level moral education textbook published by the Government-General of Korea during the Japanese occupation. The subject of moral education was one of the central tools used to cultivate loyal imperial subjects.

Such textbooks began to appear after the Residency-General was established in 1906. In 1910, all textbooks containing content that promoted Korean national consciousness were confiscated, and only those limited to simple ethics and health were exempt from censorship.

Additionally, the Government-General directly compiled and supplied textbooks in moral education, national language (Japanese), Joseon language (Korean), classical Chinese, geography, and history, with the intention of erasing Korean pride and identity.

On November 23, 1940, the Second Gyeongnam Student Force Improvement Defense Games were held at the Busan Public Sports Field (today’s Gudeok Stadium), with students gathered from Busan, Masan, Jinju, and other nearby regions.

On November 23, 1940, the Second Gyeongnam Student Force Improvement Defense Games were held at the Busan Public Sports Field (today’s Gudeok Stadium), with students gathered from Busan, Masan, Jinju, and other nearby regions.

During the previous year’s event, Dongnae Middle School (동래중학교), a Korean school, had clearly won. In the 1940 event, Dongnae Middle School was again expected to win, but a biased ruling by the judge, Japanese Army Colonel Nodai (노다이), awarded first place to Busan Middle School (부산중학교), a Japanese school. Teacher Kim Yeong-geun (김영근) and the students of Dongnae Middle School protested the discriminatory ruling. When Nodai dismissed their protest, the students became enraged.

Students from Dongnae Middle School, the Second Busan Public Commercial School (now Gaeseong High School), Ipjeong Commercial School, and Choryang Commercial School left the public sports field, and started a march through the city, and stormed Nodai’s official residence. More than 200 students were arrested by police and military police. Fifteen ringleaders were imprisoned, and others were disciplined including 21 expelled, 44 suspended, and 10 reprimanded. One student, Kim Seon-gap (김선갑), died a martyr eight months after his release due to torture-related injuries. The Nodai Incident stands as a major student resistance movement carried out under the wartime regime in the final years of the Japanese occupation.