Royal tombs are classified according to the statues of the person buried there and are referred to by three Korean terms: neung, won, and myo.

Neung refers to the tomb of a king or queen. Won refers to the tomb of the parent of a king, a crown prince, or a crown princess. Myo refers to the tomb of other members of the royal family, as well as ordinary people.

For example, the tombs of Prince Yeonsan and Prince Gwanghae, both of whom were deposed from the throne, are called Yeonsangunmyo and Gwanghaegunmyo, respectively. By contrast, the tombs of Crown Prince Uigyeong and Prince Jeongwon were later elevated to Jangneung and Gyeongneung, respectively, after they were posthumously honored as King Deokjong and King Wonjong.