English Language School for Joseon Ruling Class (I)

This is the fourth in a series of articles about history of English education in Korea ― ED.

By Kim Eun-gyong

Contributing Writer

The Yugeong Gongwon (Public Institute of Education), also called the Royal English School, was the second English language school established by the Korean government and showed a decidedly different orientation and characteristics than the Dongmunhak.

For its establishment, the government actively pursued the United States government's cooperation, coming out of China's shadow cast over the Dongmunhak.

In 1883, a year after the Korean-American Treaty, a special delegation headed by Min Yeong-ik visited the United States. The delegation was shown various American organizations and systems and came to the realization that their country was behind the times.

Upon returning from the mission, they reported to the king, and the government took a series of reform measures. The Yugeong Gongwon was a result of these reforms.

During their visit, the special delegation had been promised support by the United States Department of State for the establishment of a new English language school. George C. Foulk, who guided the delegation and later served as a military attache to the legation in Korea, played an active role in negotiations between the two governments.

In September 1884, three months after the envoy's return, Gojong granted the establishment of the Yugeong Gongwon and requested that Lucius H. Foote, an American minister, recruit three young instructors. On September 10, Foote sent this request to the United States Secretary of State, and the request was handed over to the Commissioner of Education John Eaton.

Eaton thought that deeply religious students would be suitable for the teaching positions abroad and personally selected three students, Homer B. Hulbert, H. E. Bourne, and George W. Gilmore, from the Union Theological Seminary in New York.

On July 4, 1886, Hulbert, Delzell A. Bunker, in place of Bourne, and Gilmore and his wife arrived in Korea. The new instructors were highly educated. Gilmore was a graduate of Princeton and Bunker of Oberlin. They were students of the graduating class at the Seminary. Hulbert, a graduate of Dartmouth, was a second-year student at the Seminary. The school opened on September 23, 1886. It was located in today's Jeongdong, Junggu in Seoul.

On August 10, 1886, the king directed that sons, brothers, nephews, and relatives of the officials at the Offices of Internal Affairs and Foreign Affairs be recommended to and selected for the school. Two classes, Left and Right, were established. The king instructed that the classes be filled with students within ten days according to his directions and warned that the students' parents would be greatly penalized if this order were not met satisfactorily.

Strife among the factions had been deeply affecting Joseon's politics; thus the following consideration was given in the selection of the students: The students were carefully selected from well-known families of the time, equally distributed among the Four Factions. After the completion of the study, the students who had already been officials were to be promoted to more promising positions.

In school, those who had already passed the state examinations, or Gwageo, and secured positions as young officials were assigned to the Left class; "Young and smart" students with no positions to the Right class. The school opened with thirteen students in the Left class and twenty-two in the Right, all of whom were sons of high-ranking officials. The government appeared interested in cultivating elite officials with command of English in the new school.

On September 17, 1886, after over two months of discussion between the government and the instructors, the "School Regulations of the Yugeong Gongwon" (Yugeong Gongwon Seolhak Jeolmok) were formulated. These regulations were reported to the king.

They consisted of eighteen sections and stipulated that the government be in charge of the management of the school while the instructors be responsible for instruction. One requirement imposed on the instructors was prohibition from teaching religion.

Stipulated in detail in the regulations were class division, subjects of instruction, evaluation, class hours, scholarships, and school maintenance expenses. Guidelines for students, such as dormitory student' wake-up hours, meals, and bedtime, were also specified.

These sections are considered Korea's first modern school regulations and served as guidelines for other modern schools. The twelve subjects specified in the regulations were history, penmanship, arithmetic, geography, study skills, mathematics, foreign language, medicine, geography, astronomy, botany, machinery, and zoology, but only a limited number of these subjects were taught in practice.

The classes were conducted in English using English textbooks. Initial focus was on the instruction of the English language itself, for none of the students had any knowledge of English. As the students?ability to understand English improved, they were taught mathematics, natural science, world geography and economy.

Students's performance was evaluated by monthly, yearly, and graduation exams (Daego) after three years of study, suggesting that it was a three-year course, and it was stipulated that government positions be given to those who did well on the graduation exams. Four grades were to be given: tong (pass), yak (fair), cho (poor), and pul (fail).

Kim Eun-gyong is an associate professor of applied linguistics and Associate Dean of the Center for International Affairs, Information and Communications University (ICU) in Daejeon. She can be reached at egkimrivera@icu.ac.kr