The National Library of Korea said on the 16th that it has produced and released a video on study methods from the Joseon Dynasty, with about 30 days left before the 2027 College Scholastic Ability Test.
The video was created by applying artificial intelligence technology to the results of the library's project to publish Korean translations of historical documents. It draws on "Waunong Mungyeon Sugi," a book in which the late-Joseon scholar Hong Ji-seop (1754-1822) compiled accounts of the admirable conduct of earlier figures for the education of his descendants. The library translated the book into Korean and published it in 2025.
Among the many anecdotes in the book, the video focuses on the study methods of four figures — Kwon Jip, Lee Il-je, Lee Gwang-yun and Lee Gwang-ryeo — whose approaches can offer practical help to today's test-takers. AI was used to render the figures and stories from the historical text in vivid visual form.
Of particular interest are the contrasting methods of the brothers Lee Gwang-yun and Lee Gwang-ryeo, central figures in the late-Joseon Ganghwa school of thought and childhood teachers of Hong. The elder brother, Lee Gwang-yun, emphasized grasping the overall flow and structure of a text through "full reading," in which he chose one book and read it from beginning to end without turning to others. The younger brother, Lee Gwang-ryeo, concentrated instead on deeply analyzing the core and the basis of knowledge through "close reading," examining not only a book's content but also its sources in detail.
The video is available on the library's website and YouTube channel. Hyun Hye-won, head of the library's Historical Documents Division, said, "I wanted to offer warm comfort and encouragement to students preparing for the exam by sharing the attitude and wisdom of earlier generations who devoted themselves fiercely to learning."