Hyeon is also common Korean family name; see List of Korean family names

The hyeon were administrative subdivisions of Korea during the Silla

Silla

Silla was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and one of the longest sustained dynasties in...

, 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

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...

 periods. They were typically slightly smaller than today's si and gun (see Subdivisions of South Korea, Subdivisions of North Korea). They were abolished in the Gabo Reform

Gabo Reform

The Gabo Reform describes a series of sweeping reforms introduced in Joseon Dynasty Korea beginning in 1894 and ending in 1896, during the reign of King Gojong, in response to the Donghak Peasant Revolution. Historians debate the degree of Japanese influence in this program, as well as its effect...

of 1895.

During the Goryeo period, there were about 335 Hyeon; during the Joseon period, 164.