Military and philosophical code developed in the Korean state of Silla during the 6th century.
It formed the basis for training an elite society of young warriors known as the hwarang , who were instrumental in unifying Korea under the Silla dynasty (668935). Their moral code, derived from Buddhism and Confucianism , emphasized loyalty to the king, filial piety, faithfulness to friends, courage in battle, and the evil of indiscriminate killing. The hwarang were disbanded during the Choson dynasty (13921910), but interest in the code revived in the late 20th century with a style of Korean martial arts known as hwarangdo.