The Orange Tribe of Goryeo and Joseon: The Original 'Hipsters' in History

The Original Silver Spoon Bearers Roaming Hanyang in Silk Robes Before Porsche

• Unique lifestyles of privileged classes in Goryeo and Joseon eras
• The luxury, indulgence, and cultural backgrounds of the ‘Orange Tribe’ through the ages
• Fascinating facts from historical sources like gyeokgu and genre paintings

Do you remember the Orange Tribe that symbolized Seoul’s Apgujeong-dong in the 1990s? Young people flaunting flashy foreign cars and luxury brands vividly reflected the social atmosphere of the time. Surprisingly, this scene has repeated itself throughout our history. What if, long before the first sports car raced down Gangnam streets, young men in silk robes stirred up the capital’s nights backed by immense power and ancient wealth?

Every era has its own ‘Orange Tribe.’ These privileged elites led contemporary trends, and their lavish, leisurely lives both defined society and challenged the established order. Now, let’s travel back in time to meet two distinct worlds: first, the rough and wild aristocrats of Goryeo who flaunted power, and second, the urbane trendsetters of Joseon who dominated Hanyang’s nightlife with style.

Part 1: Goryeo’s VVIPs — Gyeokgu, Power, and an Age of Decadence

Goryeo’s elite were not just wealthy; they expressed their identity through overwhelming power and resource consumption. Their ‘flex’ was grand and sometimes brutal.

Goryeo’s Country Club: Life on the Gyeokgu Field

The thunder of hooves shakes the ground, and the sharp crack of wooden sticks called ‘jangsi’ striking the ball cuts through the air. Amid the cheers of young nobles dressed in splendid silk, an intense gyeokgu (擊毬) match unfolds. Similar to modern polo, this was no mere sport. It was a league reserved only for the highest VVIPs, combining vast wealth and advanced horsemanship.

The costs were unimaginable. A lavishly decorated saddle could be worth the price of ten commoners’ homes. Horses were specially trained, and equipment was extravagantly luxurious. Gyeokgu was not just a game but a public declaration of wealth and power. Kings of Goryeo were captivated by it; King Uijong often neglected state affairs to watch matches, blurring the lines between military training and noble entertainment.

At the peak of this display was Choe U (崔瑀), the de facto ruler during the military regime. In 1229, he forcibly demolished over 100 commoner homes to build a private gyeokgu field. This stadium was so vast that 30,000 monks could sit and dine while watching the game simultaneously. This shocking episode reveals how the Goryeo ruling class disregarded the lives of commoners for their leisure.

Scandal Maker: The Infamous King Chunghye

If one were to name the icon of decadence and debauchery in Goryeo, it would be King Chunghye (忠惠王). Inheriting immense power, he showed little interest in governance and was obsessed with personal pleasures—a royal troublemaker.

His eccentricities began with fashion. His father, King Chungsuk, upon seeing his son’s flashy Mongol-style attire and exotic demeanor after returning from Yuan, scolded him publicly: “Both your parents are Goryeo people, so why follow barbarian customs? What is with those extravagant clothes?” This resembles the older generation criticizing the Westernized tastes of the youth.

His hobbies were far from kingly dignity. He enjoyed wrestling with officials, neglecting state affairs and mingling with eunuchs, completely disregarding court hierarchy. The Goryeosa records his excessive hunting and unimaginable womanizing in detail.

When Pleasure Turns Cruel: Goryeo’s Rulers

The leisure of Goryeo elites often led to violent abuses of power. The powerful noble clans backed by Yuan influence enjoyed near-absolute authority, their privileges above the law.

The story of Lee Gwang (李光), a slave in the household of high official Yeom Heung-bang (廉興邦), dramatically illustrates the social reality. Trusting his master’s power, Lee Gwang illegally seized land from former official Jo Ban (趙胖). When Jo Ban protested, Lee Gwang mocked him. Unable to endure the humiliation, Jo Ban killed Lee Gwang. Enraged at this challenge to his authority, Yeom Heung-bang accused Jo Ban of treason, arrested, and brutally tortured him. This incident clearly shows how the ‘pleasure’ and ‘power’ of the ruling class operated as a system of fear and injustice for others.

These behaviors reveal that the identity of Goryeo elites was not just about style but a ‘performance of power’ flaunting control over land, resources, and people. Choe U demolishing homes to build a gyeokgu field, King Chunghye ignoring hierarchy to wrestle, and Yeom Heung-bang’s family abusing law and violence all directly displayed their social and political dominance. This was not merely individual moral decay but an inevitable symptom of a political system that allowed privileged classes to reign above the law through hereditary appointments and Yuan interference.

Part 2: Joseon’s Trendsetters — The Birth of Hanyang Style

As time passed into the Joseon era, a new type of ‘Orange Tribe’ emerged. Based in the capital Hanyang, they pursued urban sophistication and exercised influence through cultural capital. Their stage was not battlefields or gyeokgu fields but the bustling capital’s taverns, gisaeng houses, and elegant social gatherings.

Influencers of the Time: Opening the Wardrobe of Byeolgam

The leaders of Joseon’s fashion in late Joseon were undoubtedly the Byeolgam (別監). They could be called the ‘Orange Tribe’ of their day. Though their official rank was not high, their close proximity to the king granted them immense cultural influence and wealth.

Descriptions in the 19th-century text Hanyangga resemble a modern fashion magazine. From head to toe, their style was a meticulously calculated display.

• Hairstyle and Hats: Hair was carefully straightened into the ‘Pyeonwol Sangtu’ style, adorned with expensive amber hairpins. Their translucent, top-quality Pyeongyang manggeon (headband) featured rare tortoiseshell ornaments. Specially made straw hats (chorip) were supported by purple silk cords and decorated with peacock feathers.
• Signature Red Robe: The ‘Hongui (紅衣)’—a vivid scarlet silk robe woven with life thread—was their exclusive privilege.
• Accessories: They wore multiple imported silk pouches filled with costly Chinese incense at their waists and carried decorated ceremonial knives with jade and tortoiseshell. Most strikingly, they wore embroidered women’s leather shoes called ‘Suunhye (繡雲鞋),’ a bold fashion choice crossing gender boundaries at the time.

A Night Enjoyed in 18th-Century Style

The vibrant nightlife of late Joseon is immortalized in genre paintings by Hyewon Shin Yun-bok (申潤福). His works capture the secret pleasures of Hanyang’s elites like paparazzi shots.

The first scene is a tavern. In Jusageubae, men of various social ranks drink together in a lively atmosphere. At the center is a Byeolgam in red, leisurely picking snacks before the tavern keeper, drawing all eyes.

The next scene takes place in front of a gisaeng house. Yugwagjaengung depicts a noisy fight between two men over a gisaeng. The figure authoritatively breaking up the fight is again the Byeolgam in red. This visually proves that Byeolgam were not mere guests but key figures managing the entertainment district’s order.

Their hosted ‘Seungjeonnoreum’ was more than a drinking party. It was a grand cultural event mobilizing the era’s best musicians, dancers, and gisaeng, showing Byeolgam as cultural producers and patrons.

The Freedom of Doing Nothing: The World of Hallyang

If Byeolgam produced and managed entertainment culture, the consumers were the Hallyang (閑良). These were sons of military families who never entered officialdom—professional leisure class. Though later the term ‘Hallyang’ gained a negative connotation of laziness, in Hanyang they were sophisticated consumers of art and culture.

A Hallyang’s day began with archery practice, followed by composing poetry and visiting gisaeng houses to mingle with top artists, enjoying refined leisure known as pungnyu (風流). They were the audience and critics sustaining the entertainment ecosystem and sometimes romantic partners of gisaeng. Of course, Confucian scholars criticized them for “idly wasting time.”

While Goryeo elites’ power came from land and private armies, Joseon’s ‘Orange Tribe’ derived status from ‘cultural capital’ within the capital Hanyang. Their influence was based on trendsetting sensibility and control over the entertainment industry. This new phenomenon arose from Joseon’s centralized political structure concentrating power in Hanyang and the thriving capital’s commercial economy. Just as taverns evolved from simple inns to hubs of information and credit, leisure and entertainment became a major industry, with Byeolgam perfectly positioned as rulers of this new cultural economy linking palace and market.

Goryeo VVIP vs. Joseon Trendsetters: Comparative Table

Comparison of Privileged Classes in Goryeo and Joseon

Conclusion

Goryeo elites flaunted rough, violent power based on territory and physical force, while Joseon trendsetters exercised urbane, sophisticated cultural influence. Though their expressions differed, both groups perfectly embody the original ‘Orange Tribe’—wealthy privileged classes living by their own rules.

The rise of such elites always sparked social friction. In Joseon, petitions criticizing their extravagance were frequent, and kings like Yeongjo personally emphasized frugality to curb luxury trends. The tension between a privileged few and the masses, and debates over luxury versus austerity, are timeless themes.

The Porsches and luxury brands of the 1990s may seem purely modern symbols, but in reality, they are just new props in a very old play. The stories of Byeolgam in red silk robes and Goryeo nobles on priceless steeds remind us of a vital truth: the desire to be seen and to show off, to create trends and enjoy lavish leisure, is a timeless human story deeply woven into the vast fabric of Korean history.

So, which ‘Orange Tribe’ rules your era?