Like the pyeonjong, the pyeongyeong (編磬) was introduced from Song China in the Goryeo Dynasty in 1116.

Unlike the original Chinese type that was tuned by varying the size of the slabs, Joseon manufacturers modified the instrument by changing the way in which different tones were produced. They did this by unifying the slab size and varying their thickness. Thinner bells play lower notes and thicker bells play higher tones. Since stone is not affected by variations in temperature and humidity, it has been used as the tuning standard for all Korean traditional instruments.

Originally stone for the slabs was imported from China, but in 1425 during the seventh year of King Sejong's reign a new type of andesite with beautiful marbling and clearer sound was discovered in Namyang, Gyeonggi Province. Instruments manufactured of this new material allegedly had superior precision of tones than the Chinese originals.
A pair of white geese supports the two-story wooden frame with five peacocks perching on the crest. The crest features twin phoenix heads at both ends with pheasant tail decorations hanging from their beaks.

A set of sixteen upside-down L-shaped slabs hanging in two rows of eight are struck by a standing player facing the instrument. He strikes the circular marks on their lower belly with mallets made of horns. The chime can play twelve tones in an octave and four higher tones, ascending from the lowest key note Hwangjong (黃鐘) at the bottom right to the highest Cheong-hyeipjong (淸夾鐘) note at the top right.

According to the Musical Cannon (Akhak-gwebeom, 樂學軌範), a comprehensive book of musical theory and practice published in 1493, the player strikes the slabs in the upper-row with his left hand and the bottom rows with his right when playing court music, but uses both hands for any rows when playing popular or folk music. Pyeongyeong players today, however, only use their right hand.