There were institutions called royal administration offices in Cheongdeokgung Palace. Originally, other palaces also had them, but they were demolished during the Japanese invasion of Korea. In the 2000s, the royal administration offices were restored in Changdeokgung Palace. Gyujanggak Pavilion and Geomseocheong were the two institutions in the royal administration offices.
Gyujanggak Pavilion was created in the year when King Jeongjo ascended the throne. It is a royal library as well as an institution for studying academics and policies. It was responsible for storing the handwritings of previous kings, paintings, calligraphic works, and books. There were around 80,000 books stored in the Gyujanggak Pavilion, and the other handwriting and sealed letters were kept in other buildings. Therefore, some buildings of Gyujanggak Pavilion were built in the rear garden.
Besides, the Geomseocheong building was originally called “Daeyujae”. It was a place where the king expressed his sorrow when there was an ancestral ritual or funeral rite. It had later become the Geomsecheong, where the editors and examiners investigated the books. It was an important job that only certified professionals could do. The editors and examiners were selected only based on their abilities, regardless of their background status. The famous scholars, including Park Jaega, Yoo Deukgong, and Lee Deokmoo, were the editors and examiners.
The books in Gyujanggak were once under the jurisdiction of the interrogation bureau of the Governor-General's Office of Korea due to Japanese colonial rule. Since then, it was transferred to the Seoul National University Library in 1945 and is currently managed by the Kyujanggak Institute for Korean Studies. During the Joseon Dynasty, Gyujanggak played a predominant role in the collection, examination, and publication of books in Korea and overseas. It also contributed greatly to the arrangement and storage of materials that later became Korean cultural assets.