by Vladimir Glomb, Eun-Jeung Lee || When, in 1578, the retired high-ranking official Yulgok Yi I (1536–1584) decided to compose the rules of study for the Unbyŏng Study Hall, where he lectured to his disciples, he had no doubts as to the form of the ideal Confucian education of a young student: “Every day on the fifth watch, just before dawn, students wake up and put their beds in order. The younger ones take a broom and sweep their chambers, and order the assistant to sweep the yard. After that, the students wash, dress properly, and start their reading of the books.” During the reading, the student should “kneel upright and respectfully with clasped hands, devote his whole mind and direct his intention, exert himself fully to grasp the meaning and its lesson.” The rest of the day consisted, apart from ritual obligations, of “reading, quiet sitting and preserving of one’s mind, and lectures or discussions about meanings and principles.” Finally, students should “after dark, light the lamps and read their books.” This insight into the daily routine of a young student gives us a basic idea of the role of reading in Confucian education and, more specifically, of the position the study of books occupied in Confucian academies of 16th-century Korea. ...