The institution's twenty buildings date from its reconstruction, which started in 1602; they comply with the characteristics required of a Confucian educational establishment of the period.

[1] Songgyungwan prepared young aristocratic men for the civil service and was the center of Confucian studies in the dynasty.

[3] The institution had the particular responsibility of educating the Crown Prince who, on being invested with that title, underwent the state ceremony of iphak (입학) or commencement of learning at the Songgyungwan in accordance with the code of the Iphakrye (입학례) as stipulated in the Kukcho oryeui (국조오례의 "Book on the Five Rites of the State").

[5] Chŏng Mong-ju passed his civil service examinations at the age of 23 and became an instructor of Neo-Confucianism at the Songgyungwan Academy in 1367.

[6] The old buildings are not well-suited to the role of a museum, as they lack proper conditions for the conservation and presentation of works of art, and are ill-suited for the reception of visitors.