The gyobang were the principal buildings associated with kisaeng

Kisaeng

Kisaeng , sometimes called ginyeo , were female Korean official prostitute or entertainers. Kisaeng are artists who work to entertain others, such as the yangbans and kings....

 during the Goryeo

Goryeo

The Goryeo Dynasty or Koryŏ was a Korean dynasty established in 918 by Emperor Taejo. Korea gets its name from this kingdom which came to be pronounced Korea. It united the Later Three Kingdoms in 936 and ruled most of the Korean peninsula until it was removed by the Joseon dynasty in 1392...

 and Joseon Dynasties

Joseon Dynasty

Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...

. They provided instruction in music including Hyangak

Hyangak

Hyangak, literally "village music," is a traditional form of Korean court music with origins in the Three Kingdoms period . It is often accompanied by traditional folk dances of Korea, known as hyangak jeongjae...

 (lit. "village music) and dance, and by the late Joseon dynasty they were also the administrative center of kisaeng society.

Gyobang first appear in historical records in the early 11th century, in the reign of King Hyeonjong

Hyeonjong of Goryeo

Hyeonjong of Goryeo was the 8th ruler of the Goryeo dynasty of Korea. He was a grandson of Emperor Taejo. He was appointed by the military leader Gang Jo, whom the previous Emperor Mokjong had called upon to destroy a plot by Kim Chi-yang.In 1010, The Khitan attacked again during an internal...

. However, since that record describes the king releasing 1,000 kisaeng from the gyobang, it is likely that they date to the 10th century and the formation of the kisaeng class.

When Korea came under Japanese rule

Korea under Japanese rule

Korea was under Japanese rule as part of Japan's 35-year imperialist expansion . Japanese rule ended in 1945 shortly after the Japanese defeat in World War II....

 in the early 20th century, the gyobang were replaced by gwonbeon

Gwonbeon

The gwonbeon were institutions set up for the training and oversight of kisaeng and other entertainers during in the early 20th century. They were the successors of the gyobang, government-supported institutions which had provided such education and oversight in the Goryeo and Joseon...

. No gyobang survive today, although a handful of pictorial depictions do.