Going into my June 2023 trip to Korea, I definitely had in mind the prospect of checking out each of the 15 mainland World Heritage Sites (including Gaya Tumuli, which is set to be inscribed this year if all goes as expected) in the 9 days I had, but I did definitely question if it was worth filling up and rushing through the little time I had just to tick each box when, as far as I could see previously, many of the Korean WHS did not seem all that interesting from an outsider's perspective. You've got to admit there is quite a selection of tomb sites, and Joseon sites seem to cover every bit of their daily life, from palaces, shrines, and tombs to fortresses, villages, and schools. I just found the selection too full of seemingly unremarkable things that most outsiders would not find so interesting, impressive, or valuable to the world at large, and I wondered if my time would be better spent doing other things. Perhaps the epitome of this was the Seowon; these sites are not known for any sort of unique architectural/structural value but as "exceptional testimony to cultural traditions associated with Neo-Confucianism in Korea, in the form of educational and social practices" - that does not sound like a lot to see. As the trip went on, I grew more and more impressed with the Korean World Heritage; they showcase such a diverse and distinct history and culture with many unmatched skills and qualities throughout the world, and I'm glad I got to visit each of them.

But the Seowon, I found, remained the site that, to me, showcases rather dubious OUV for inscription. A group of 9 small complexes, the one thing that I can note is a good (but not exceptional) level of conservation for 500-year-old wooden buildings, probably due to their isolated locations. The layouts, highly praised by many others, strike me not as any sort of genius, but a mixture of chance, philosophy, and common sense. If people live a few kilometers from a hill with a lovely forest and scenic stream, is it so remarkable for someone to decide to build an academy there?

Oksan Seowon was the site I chose for my trip, as it was 1-1.5 hours direct bus from the Gyeongju bus station, with a stopover at Yangdong, so I could see the village on the same afternoon. Additionally, it seems to be one of the more popular seowons online, but it has not yet been reviewed on this website. I took bus #203, which comes around every hour and 10 minutes or so, just enough time to leisurely explore the seowon or, if you're fairly fit, walk the extra 750 meters to the house of the seowon's founder, Yi Eon Jeok. Nearby is a stream with a little gorge and waterfall where local families love to dive, swim, and wade. Entering the gate of the seowon, one can cross a little bridge over a drainage canal and go through the first building to come upon the main courtyard. The building close to the gate, Mubyeonnu (meaning "without end") Pavilion has a pretty balcony that opens both towards and away from the courtyard to serve as a serene resting space for students, the first of its kind in seowons and Oksan's defining feature. Across it is the Guindang Lecture Hall, and on the sides are, I believe, dormitories. Above and behind this is the shrine of the seowon, Cheinmyo, which cannot be entered but is bounded by some interesting smaller buildings with steles and whatnot on either side. Everything is brightly colored, mainly yellow and pink, but also red and green like other Joseon-era buildings. While all quite authentic, the complex simply is not impressive and could take under 20 minutes to thoroughly examine. It would be completely overshadowed by any other World Heritage Sites in the country, and I think it's safe to assume the same holds true for the other 8, except possibly Sosu. I definitely don't think it's a site worth inscribing twice! The isolated nature of the seowons also makes travel to them fairly difficult, so I can only recommend a visit here to those with a lot of time on their hands and, especially, those with serious interest or WHS ambitions.