Won studied history at Sookmyung Women’s University and received her Ph.D. from the Korean Studies Institute for her dissertation Studies on Scholars Who Passed the National Exam during the Joseon Dynasty. She worked as a chief researcher at the Korean Studies Institute until 2018 and is currently a research professor at Gyeongnam Culture Research Institute at Gyeongsang National University. She is an expert on the national civil exam and the administration system of Joseon and an expert on the royal family members. She wrote The Genealogy of the Royal Yi Family and Their Members and co-authored The Communication System between the Kings and Aristocrats and The Communication System between the Kings and People.