Country history · Asia

History of South Korea

29 recorded states lay in what is now South Korea, from Jin (Korean state) (300 BCE). 5 of them have a full profile, and 11 outside powers ruled here.

ProfileState (capital or seat)11 without a known seat not shownOpen in the atlas →

Profiles

Empires that ruled here

Timeline

4th century BCE

  1. Jin (Korean state)300 BCE – 100 BCE · chiefdom

3rd century BCE

  1. Dongye200 BCE – 400 CE · chiefdom

2nd century BCE

  1. Byeonhan100 BCE – 42 CE · tribal confederation
  2. Jinhan100 BCE – 300 CE · tribal confederation
  3. Mahan100 BCE – 369 CE · tribal confederation

1st century BCE

  1. Silla57 BCE – 935 CE · profile
  2. Goguryeo37 BCE – 668 CE · profile
  3. Baekje18 BCE – 660 CE · profile

1st century

  1. Gaya confederacy42 CE – 562 CE · tribal confederation
  2. Geumgwan Gaya42 CE – 532 CE · kingdom

3rd century

  1. Ara Gaya200 CE – 560 CE · kingdom
  2. Bihwa Gaya200 CE – 555 CE · chiefdom
  3. Daegaya200 CE – 562 CE · kingdom
  4. Goryeong Gaya200 CE – 562 CE · chiefdom
  5. Seongsan Gaya200 CE – 562 CE · chiefdom
  6. Sogaya200 CE – 562 CE · chiefdom

5th century

  1. Usan400 CE – 512 CE · chiefdom
  2. Tamna476 CE – 1105 CE · kingdom

7th century

  1. Bodeok670 CE – 684 CE · kingdom

9th century

  1. Later Baekje892 CE – 936 CE · kingdom

10th century

  1. Taebong901 CE – 918 CE · kingdom
  2. Goryeo918 CE – 1392 CE · profile

13th century

  1. Sambyeolcho1270 CE – 1273 CE · other

14th century

  1. Joseon1392 CE – 1897 CE · profile

19th century

  1. Korean Empire1897 CE – 1910 CE · kingdom

20th century

  1. Korea under Japanese rule1910 CE – 1945 CE · colony
  2. Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea1919 CE – 1948 CE · other
  3. People's Republic of Korea1945 CE – 1946 CE · republic
  4. United States Army Military Government in Korea1945 CE – 1948 CE · other

In the encyclopedia

Shared histories

States that also lay in other present-day countries:

States of Korea and Japan → All country histories →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). History of South Korea. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/south-korea
MLA
“History of South Korea.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/south-korea. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “History of South Korea.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/south-korea.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘History of South Korea’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/south-korea (Accessed: ).