Soban refers to a tray-table used for an individual or for a sacrificial rite for ancestors. Sobanjang means the skill of making a tray-table, or an artisan with such a skill.
Murals in tombs of Goguryeo display many types of soban. According to records such as Samguk sagi (History of the Three Kingdoms) or Gyeongguk daejeon (National Code), there were state agencies responsible for production of dining tables. Soban production developed due to the preference for individual dining tables over those for two or more people under the influence of Confucianism, and due to the needs associated with large and small events, including wedding and sacrificial rites.
There are 60-plus types of soban, depending on the place of origin, shape, and usage. Soban were chiefly made in Haeju (featuring engraved carvings), Naju (featuring wood strips with mid-level of legs), Tongyeong (featuring cloud-shaped legs), and Gangwon-do. The shapes of the soban legs differ from region to region; those made in Gyeongsang-do have bamboo-shaped legs, the ones made in Jeolla-do tiger foot-shaped legs, and the ones made in Gangwon-do and Gyeonggi-do dog foot-shaped legs.