Just found out about the Hwarang recently. Wikipedia gives multiple theories as to what they were, and most of the internet is talking about some Korean Drama show when it’s brought up. I’m really curious as to what they did, what their lifestyles were, if they were basically just the Korean equivalent of a samurai, what they wore... etc. It just seems interesting to me.
The Samguk Sagi and Samguk Yasu translations are a good place to read about Hwarang, otherwise primary sources are limited. Samguk Yasu, however, explores more mythical and folklore elements of Korea’s history, so don’t take it as fact.
Samurai were part of the landowning caste of nobility who were feudal lords over their land, meaning they were allowed to own a part of their master’s land in exchange for military service when it was required.
Hwarang were handpicked youth who were taught martial skills as well as art and courtly manners, as a sort of idol for men to look up to as the ideal korean man. They weren’t necessarily born into this ranking, and although they did participate in military engagements, I don’t think those sources mentioned anything about Hwarang being a landholding position.
When I read about Hwarang, I made kind of a humorous connection to modern KPOP idols. Beautiful, charismatic young men being taken in their youth and molded to be unrealistically perfect national icons? I guess the history of KPOP goes back farther than I thought.