Through an examination of the contact and exchange between Kang Youwei (1858-1927) and Korean scholars in the late Joseon era (1392-1897)and their acceptance and criticism of Kang's scholarship of the Confucian classics, the present paper explores changes in the interpretation of the Confucian classics on the Korean Peninsula triggered by the influence of Kang Youwei's philosophy. It aims to show that in their interpretation of the Confucian classics, some of these scholars of the late Joseon era had already deviated from the methodology adopted by Chinese scholars over the previous 500 years. It also leads us to rediscover the unique perspectives of China's neighboring countries and their important roles in the study of the Confucian classics.