hwarangdo

hwarangdo, youth group following a unique military and philosophical code developed in the ancient Korean state of Silla about the 6th century ce. The hwarangdo were groups of elite youths (hwarang; the suffix -do means “group,” “disciple,” or “follower”) who were trained almost equally in academic and martial skills. The hwarang warriors were said to have played an instrumental role in Silla’s conquest of the rest of the Korean peninsula and in the establishment of...