also: リャンバン
yangban; traditional Korean ruling class
Historical term for the aristocratic class of the Joseon dynasty in Korea. Used in discussions of Korean history and society.
from Korean
During the Joseon dynasty, the yangban reigned as a privileged class.
I heard that his ancestors were yangban.
Standard kanji form for this Korean historical term.
Alternate reading based on older Sino-Korean pronunciation; rarely used in contemporary Japanese.
From Korean 양반 (yangban), literally 'two groups', referring to the civil and military branches of the ruling class during the Joseon dynasty.