This thesis studies the theories of reading on Korea historically, and investigate the premises which are lying on the act of reading. The Neo-Confucian theory of reading which was intruduced in Koryŏ dynasty didn't grasp the act of reading as a lingustic act. The knowledge which was gained through reading must be practiced, and reading was understood as the pre-step of this practice. If one reads a book, the ehical change of action must appear within the body of the man. As a result, the contents of a book abounds in the existential knowledge which can be practiced by the human body. It is the affirmative attitude on the traditional system of knowledge that emphasizes on the reading which can be practiced by the human body. The practice after reading don't intermediate the phonogram. By the way, after Korean alphabet(Hangul) was created, people came to know the difference between the spoken language of Korea and that of China. And people gradually became interested on not the traditional reading but the reading itself. Choi sejin showed the sprout of theory of reading on the Korean alphabet in this trend. Modern lingutistics reduced the concept of 'reading' to the act of grasping the meaning of phonogram. As lingustic sign was stand out itself, western phonogram and its inscription were regarded as the standard of language. And the meaning of 'meaning' was restricted to the conceptual and rational one. So the meaning of 'reading' was limited to the process of decoding, understanding, studying, and remembering the contents of written language. This change is being reflected on the contemporary educational practice, and this is the problem of education in general, not only that of the Korean language education.