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When I started watching the series I had the impression it was based on Korea.
But it was really just an impression, based on how the names sound, since Idk much about the country (not to say "anything"). But after seeing more about it in other places and in conversations, I got curious.
So, aside from seeing people saying that the names are romanizations and that they could find their meanings in the Korean language, I also saw them comparing Kouka kingdom with Ancient Korea.
So, the Korean mythology has a place called Gojoseon that was founded by the son of a god. Evidences suggest it was formed by alliances between small towns. Gojoseon prospered but later collapsed due to constant attacks from a neighbour. It got divided into 4 states - Gokuryeo, Baekje, Gaya and Silla, which formed the Three Kingdom period.
The government system in the Three Kingdoms had a monarch ruling with the aid of senior officials. Those officials managed the provinces supported by local tribal leaders. The kingdoms were under constant wars, also influenced by chinese invasions.
Silla Kingdom was at some point divided into five secondary capitals, although it maintained a main one. They consolidated the state and prospered with agricultural industry and trades throughout the sea. In the absense of war, arts and sciences flourished. It declined due to its strict class structure (which didn't give opportunity to people from lower ranks to prosper and rise) and to the resentment towards the king that erupted among the aristocracy. During a period of peace, the king was overruled from the inside.
With Gokuryeo, after reaching prosperity, the decay also happened due to decadence among the ruling elite and social unrest. The king was criticizes for building palaces and water parks. He got replaced by his brother, and after decades of coups and rebellions, the kingdom faced an invasion by Ghenkis Khan.
It's noteworthy that Korea was also prominent at jewelry crafting, with the use of goldwork techniques such as wiring, punching, cutting and granuation. Jades were often used as embellishment for those adornments.
Source: https://www.ancient.eu/Korea/
Now, some of those elements are easy to see in the series. The gold and gems that Yona wore in her jewelry, and how she had a peaceful and prosperous view of the kingdom, while a big parcel of the people was stagnated in poverty. Both in the ancient Three Kingdoms and in Kouka Kingdom, instability surfaced due to interior forces, while they were living a period of peace.
Also, in both situations, although there's a monarch, he rules supported by other representatives, tribes related, and like in many cultures, both Korea and Yona's settings are based on mythologies, in a founding sense.
This is the map of Kouka:
If you think of Gokuryeo (Goguryeo), even its geography holds similarities with Kouka. The Kingdom has access to the sea from both sides, and has his main enemy nations restricted in the bottom, with smaller territories and access to other lands. Gokuryeo is also limited (in its center instead of its north, though) by a large river that cuts through an extensive and high chain of mountains, just like Kouka.
So yeah, I think that's very likely the inspiration that Kusanagi-san had for her work, at least when we talk about a background. I still have to look for the meaning of the names in the Korean language (like... Yona mentions that Shin Ah meant moonshine), but I'd love to know more about this subject, so I'm looking forward on what others have to share on this!
But it was really just an impression, based on how the names sound, since Idk much about the country (not to say "anything"). But after seeing more about it in other places and in conversations, I got curious.
So, aside from seeing people saying that the names are romanizations and that they could find their meanings in the Korean language, I also saw them comparing Kouka kingdom with Ancient Korea.
So, the Korean mythology has a place called Gojoseon that was founded by the son of a god. Evidences suggest it was formed by alliances between small towns. Gojoseon prospered but later collapsed due to constant attacks from a neighbour. It got divided into 4 states - Gokuryeo, Baekje, Gaya and Silla, which formed the Three Kingdom period.
The government system in the Three Kingdoms had a monarch ruling with the aid of senior officials. Those officials managed the provinces supported by local tribal leaders. The kingdoms were under constant wars, also influenced by chinese invasions.
Silla Kingdom was at some point divided into five secondary capitals, although it maintained a main one. They consolidated the state and prospered with agricultural industry and trades throughout the sea. In the absense of war, arts and sciences flourished. It declined due to its strict class structure (which didn't give opportunity to people from lower ranks to prosper and rise) and to the resentment towards the king that erupted among the aristocracy. During a period of peace, the king was overruled from the inside.
With Gokuryeo, after reaching prosperity, the decay also happened due to decadence among the ruling elite and social unrest. The king was criticizes for building palaces and water parks. He got replaced by his brother, and after decades of coups and rebellions, the kingdom faced an invasion by Ghenkis Khan.
It's noteworthy that Korea was also prominent at jewelry crafting, with the use of goldwork techniques such as wiring, punching, cutting and granuation. Jades were often used as embellishment for those adornments.
Source: https://www.ancient.eu/Korea/
Now, some of those elements are easy to see in the series. The gold and gems that Yona wore in her jewelry, and how she had a peaceful and prosperous view of the kingdom, while a big parcel of the people was stagnated in poverty. Both in the ancient Three Kingdoms and in Kouka Kingdom, instability surfaced due to interior forces, while they were living a period of peace.
Also, in both situations, although there's a monarch, he rules supported by other representatives, tribes related, and like in many cultures, both Korea and Yona's settings are based on mythologies, in a founding sense.
This is the map of Kouka:
If you think of Gokuryeo (Goguryeo), even its geography holds similarities with Kouka. The Kingdom has access to the sea from both sides, and has his main enemy nations restricted in the bottom, with smaller territories and access to other lands. Gokuryeo is also limited (in its center instead of its north, though) by a large river that cuts through an extensive and high chain of mountains, just like Kouka.
So yeah, I think that's very likely the inspiration that Kusanagi-san had for her work, at least when we talk about a background. I still have to look for the meaning of the names in the Korean language (like... Yona mentions that Shin Ah meant moonshine), but I'd love to know more about this subject, so I'm looking forward on what others have to share on this!
