Hwarang, known as Hwarang Corps, and Flowering Knights, were an elite warrior group of male youth in Silla, an ancient kingdom of the Korean Peninsula that lasted until the 10th century.
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10 Facts About Hwarang
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Hwarang were referred to as Hyangdo, the word hwarang and its colloquial derivatives being used for everything from playboy to shaman or husband of a female shaman.
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The Hwarang would seek the teachings of these Buddhist monks because they knew that the martial arts practiced by these Buddhist monks were a source through which they could strengthen themselves for greater success in the future and for the benefit of the Silla Kingdom.
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The establishment of Hwarang took place in the context of tightening central state control, a complement to the golpum system and a symbol of harmony and compromise between the king and the aristocracy.
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Hwarang groups were usually led by a youth of aristocratic standing, and the state appointed a high-ranking official to oversee the organization.
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The biographies section of the Samguk Sagi describes young Hwarang who distinguished themselves in the struggles against the Gaya confederacy and later Baekje and Goguryeo.
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Historians dispute the Gukseon as Hwarang leaders appointed by the king or the Hwarang groups elect their members to lead their groups.
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Samguk Yusa records that Hwarang members learned the Five Cardinal Confucian Virtues, the Six Arts, the Three Scholarly Occupations, and the Six Ways of Government Service.
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Today, Hwarang is often used in the names of various schools, organizations and companies.
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