In the late Joseon Dynasty, the floor of the royal palace was covered with grass mat called ji-ui. Ji-ui was produced by connecting several mats named seokja(席子) and trimming the edge with narrow fabric named seon (縇). The standard manufacturing technique was to connect the shorter sides of the seokjas by overstitching them. A room was covered with either single or multiple ji-uis, depending on the case. In the case of the main and the subsidiary halls (jeong-jeon and pyeon-jeon, respectively) where the king conducted official meetings with the civil servants, multiple ji-uis were laid out to signify the division of space, which reflected the ceremonial aspects of the governing acts. The most essential division was the distinction of yeong-wae(楹外) and yeong-nae(楹內), with the jeon-goju (a tall frontal pillar inside the hall) functioning as the breakpoint. Jeong-jeon was divided into four spaces each covered with one ji-ui: yeong-nae, yeong-wae, and the left and the right sides of the royal seat named jwa-tap(座榻). Pyeon-jeon was covered with three ji-uis that divided the hall into three spaces: yeong-nae, yeong-wae, and hu-twae(後退) (the hind section) where the royal seat was placed on.

It is generally believed that Seonjeong-jeon and Heejeong-dang respectively served as Pyeonjeon of Chang-deok Palace in the earlier and the later period of Joseon dynasty. However, such belief is based on the concept of Pyeonjeon that emerged after the time of King Soonjo’s reign(1800~1834). The concept and functions of Pyeonjeon varied among times ranging from Koryo to late Joseon dynasty. In the earlier Koryo dynasty, the word Pyeonjeon signified both “Pyeonjeon in relation to Jeong-jeon” or “Pyeonjeon as a casual office for the king”. The ambiguity of the word was resolved when Bopyung-cheong and Jogye-cheong were established in the earlier Joseon dynasty. These buildings in Chang-deok Palace (and only Bopyung-cheong in Gyeong-bok Palace) held rituals related to events in Jeong-jeon, as well as their exclusive political rituals. Thus, the meaning of the term “Pyeon-jeon” became restricted to its second meaning, namely a casual building for the king’s everyday office work and small banquets. However, the ambiguity reemerged from around the time of King Seong-jong’s reign(1469~1494). In this period, Pyeonjeon as in relation to Jeong-jeon was often referred to as “Jeong-jeon”, or “Beop-jeon” from the mid-16th century. In the 19th century, Pyeonjeon as king’s casual office took over the characteristics and functions of Beop-jeon. Thus, the popular notion of “Pyeon-jeon” was newly established and passed onto nowadays.

The king of Joseon Dynasty Jeong-jo commanded the renovation of Seongjeong-gak, once a study for crown prince, to serve as Pyeonjeon(便殿), a main office for kings. The renovated building strictly separated the routes designated for the king and the other officers, respectively. The interior space consisted of Youngnae, reserved for the king and his senior aides, and Youngwae, for lower ranking officers. Youngnae(楹內) and Youngwae(楹 外) corresponded to the two blocks (the space between two columns) on the east and west side, respectively. Such structure of Pyeonjeon was heavily transformed over several occasions beginning from the late nineteenth century. Youngwae was subdivided into separate spaces, and the routes for the king and the officers became indistinguishable.