Hwarang Segi | |
Hangul | 화랑세기 |
---|---|
Hanja | 花郞世記 |
Revised Romanization | Hwarang segi |
McCune–Reischauer | Hwarang segi |
Hwarang segi (lit. Annals of Hwarang or Generations of the Hwarang) was a historical record of the Hwarang (lit. flower boys but referring to an elite warrior group of male youth) of the Silla kingdom in ancient Korea. It is said to have been written by Silla historian Kim Daemun 金大問 (fl. 704) in the reign of Seongdeok the Great (r. 702~737).
It was believed lost since the 13th century, resurfaced in 1989 when two handwritten manuscripts were publicly unveiled. These manuscripts, owned by Park Chang-hwa and later by his student Kim Jong-jin, were revealed in two parts: a 32-page extract in 1989 and a 162-page "mother text" in 1995. Both texts, written by Park, detail the lives of the hwarang leaders from the ancient Korean kingdom of Silla. The manuscripts' authenticity has been rejected by most of scholars considering it as fictional works by Park. Regardless of their origin, the Hwarang segi is significant for its unique perspective on early Korean history.