The Korean Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) has produced a new web drama titled "300-Year-Old Class of 2020," promoting the Seowon, UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the country.
The nine sites - Sosu-seowon, Namgye-seowon, Oksan-seowon, Dosan-seowon, Piram-seowon, Dodong-seowon, Byeongsan-seowon, Museong-seowon, and Donam-seowon - will serve as the background of the new fantasy comic web drama. In the "300-Year-Old Class of 2020," the story follows three Seowon students during the Joseon dynasty who were accidentally transported to the present time, 2020.
A Fun and Educational K-Drama Series
The first they meet after stepping into the present is the manager of the Seowon that transported the three, portrayed by Choi Ji Su. The three students transported in time are portrayed by Noh Sang Hyun, Lee Se Jin, and Gong Jae Hyun, rookie actors showing a lot of promise in the initially comedic approach of the series.
Their fish out of the water challenges and grapples with the changing Korean society further present both conflict and entertainment to the audience. The Seowon appears as a scenic background and a historic bridge for the past and the present, accomplishing the CHA goal of raising awareness and appreciating the beauty of these ancient educational institutions. In a press release from the CHA, they are looking to achieve the same reach as the Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul that served as the majestic background to a string of BTS performances, as well as the Korean metropolis featured in the Rhythm of Korea advertisements.
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Aside from the UNESCO Heritage Sites, the show also offers tidbits of information that piques the curiosity of the audience. In Episode 2, for example, the four main characters are brought to the Yeongnangmun Gate, which serves as a passageway to the Oksan-Seowon. One of the scholars inferred that the name might've been taken from a Korean expression that translates to "Isn't it a pleasure when a friend comes to visit from afar?"
The series is now available on the CHA YouTube Channel, as well as on Naver TV and Kakao TV. Subtitles in English, Chinese, and other languages are available.
About the Korean Seowon
Seowon refers to traditional educational institutions - a combination of Confucian shrine and preparatory school common during the time of the Joseon Dynasty. Nine of these buildings were recognized by the United Nations' Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a World Heritage Site, which are landmarks of historical or cultural significance protected by the international organization.
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These ancient schools were mostly private institutions led by established wise men of the time or Yangban families - esteemed class of government officers and aristocrats. Seowon institutions flourished during the middle to the end of Joseon, the Seowon schools were primarily established to prepare its students for the national civil service exams of the time - which focused on measuring the examinees' knowledge and wisdom based on Confucian values and classics of Chinese literature at the time.
Watch the first episode for the CHA series "300-Year-Old Class of 2020" below:
