[1] The office was also called Chongwŏn (정원; 政院), Huwon (후원; 喉院), Ŭndae (은대; 銀臺), or Taeŏnsa (대언사; 代言司).

According to the Kyŏngguk taejŏn (Complete Codes of Law), the Sŭngjŏngwŏn had six royal secretaries (승지; 承旨; sŭngji), whose ranks were in the 3rd senior grade, as well as two recorders (주서; 注書; chusŏ).

[2][3] The duties of the royal secretaries were primarily to deliver the monarch's orders to government organizations (under the Joseon administrative system the monarch never delivered his orders directly to any government office) and to report on official affairs of the state organizations to the throne.

As the work of the secretaries had to be conducted at all hours, and it was required that they have ready access to the monarch at all times, the office of the Sŭngjŏngwŏn was established within easy reach of the king at court.

The records of the Sŭngjŏngwŏn were compiled into the Seungjeongwon ilgi (Diary of the Royal Secretariat), which remains a primary source for the study of the Joseon dynasty.