The Aristocratic Class
As each of the three kingdoms became more developed, their societal and administrative structures grew increasingly centered on the monarch and his or her courtiers. As in other early monarchies in the contemporaries of the three Korean kingdoms, society was stratified into distinctive social classes and social mobility was almost non-existent. The phenomena of dramatic societal transformation that commonly occurs in the transition from a simpler and more pluralistic chiefdom society to a complex and monarchical state society was very apparent in the history of the three kingdoms. Former tribal chieftains and clan heads who once depended on their respective tribes or clans for support became the core of privileged aristocrats and monopolized political power.
While the administrative systems of all three kingdoms were monarchies with a core elite, the manner in which the aristocratic caste was determined differed.
Goguryeo
The highest of the privileged elites of Goguryeo consisted of those who were descendants of major chieftains. These individuals could gain the exclusive rank of "Daetaero" - the highest rank in the Goguryeo bureaucracy.
Baekje
The top bureaucrats of Baekje came from a group of several major aristocratic families who were close to the monarchy.
Shilla
Shilla had a system called "Golpumje" (the "bone ranks"), a tradition that had its roots in the days when the peoples of Shilla were a tribal federation. The Golpumje system was very much a caste system in which status within this system determined just about every facet of life for individuals ranging from housing to the color of daily attire.
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