Kukchagam

The Kukchagam (Korean: 국자감; Hanja: 國子監), known at times as Kukhak (국학; 國學) or Sŏnggyun'gwan (성균관; 成均館), was the highest educational institution of the Korean Goryeo dynasty. It was located at the capital, Gaegyeong (modern-day Kaesong), and provided advanced training in the Chinese classics. It was established in 992 during the reign of Seongjong. Its name was changed to Songgyungam in 1298 and to Songgyungwan in 1308. A similar institution, known as the Gukhak, had been established under Unified Silla, but it was not successful. The Kukchagam was part of Seongjong's general program of Confucian reform, together with the gwageo civil service examinations and the hyanggyo provincial schools. It formed the cornerstone of the Confucian educational system he envisioned. In the waning days of Goryeo, the Kukchagam again became a centerpiece of reform through the policies of the early Neo-Confucian scholar An Hyang.