Since the 1990s, the discovery of Korean Bronze Age village remains has
resulted in close attention to the relationship between agrarian settlements
and primitive wars. The characteristics of primitive wars during the Bronze
Age, which featured stones as the main weapon of choice, differed from those
of the wars by ancient states conducted with iron weapons. The features of
such primitive wars that used stones as their weapon may be ascertained from
the tradition passed down to the modern era known as seokjeon (stone battle).
The kings of ancient states can be perceived as having been newly established
supreme rulers that emerged when heads of primitive societies. The
war, determined by the king of ancient state, was a sort of ideological political
ritual, not the simple physical expression of social conflicts. A pertinent example
in ancient Korea of war being conducted as a state ritual led by the royal
power occurred during the reign of King Jinheung of Silla (540-576). Such
wars featured moralistic, ritual, and religious overtones to the nobles as well
as the people. More precisely, they were sacred wars meant to protect the state.
These wars were implemented as religious rituals designed to protect the royal
power and the state.