Funkcjonowanie Silla w okresie Trzech Królestw. Wybrane aspekty zainspirowane serialem Hwarang (2016)

Worldwide interest in Korean popular culture, especially television series produced in Seoul, has continued to grow since it first came to the attention of international audiences during the 1990s. This is due, among other things, to the numerous costume productions that not only provide entertainment but also popularise the history of the Korean Peninsula, which affords local politicians a specific tool for conducting modern historical policy. Meanwhile, despite the growing popularity of K-drama, Poland still lacks the scientific basis that would allow the ancient history of Korea to be studied. To fill this gap, the author of this article decided to present key issues related to the Three Kingdoms Period (313–668) and the political, social, economic and cultural functioning of the Korean state of Silla. Since the successes of this small country were determined by a combination of factors, including: the nongjajeongbon policy aimed at the welfare of the village and its inhabitants, the hwabaek council with its controlling and mediating function, the golpum bone-rank system that ensured social stability, as well as (shown by the producers of the television series Hwarang from 2016) the chivalrous ethos of members of the elite Hwarang Corps, which remains one of the most important national symbols of Korea to this day.