The Goryeo ( Koryo ) dynasty (918–1392) was a period of intense religious fervor. Its people—from the rulers to their lowest subjects—were ardent believers in Buddhism.

The Maitreya, Buddha of the Future (60 feet high), Kwanch'oksa Temple, Nonsan, was built in 968.

King Gwangjong made laws to emancipate slaves, created the national civil service examinations and was a key figure in establishing Confucianism.

This religious fervor culminated in the carving—not just once, but twice—of more than eighty thousand woodblocks representing a complete edition of the standard Buddhist texts.

Under the patronage of the royal court, the aristocracy, and the Buddhist elite—whose taste for luxury and refinement was unprecedented in Korean history—spectacular achievements were made in the arts. To meet the standards demanded by their patrons, Goryeo artisans created exquisite celadons, elegant Buddhist paintings, and superb inlaid metal crafts as well as inlaid lacquer ware. The unusual graceful shape of their spoons immediately identify them as being of Koryo origin. The Goryeo contribution to printing, the invention of the world's first movable type, exemplifies a commitment to learning that was a hallmark of this dynasty.