tribal confederation · Korea and Japan

Byeonhan

100 BCE – 42 CE (approx.)

A confederacy of twelve small states on the lower Nakdong river, famed for producing iron that it traded across the Korea Strait and to Chinese commanderies.

Origins

Byeonhan, also called Byeonjin, took shape in the 1st century BCE in the southeast of the peninsula as one of the three Samhan confederacies, alongside Mahan and Jinhan. Chinese records list twelve member states, sharing customs and language closely with neighbouring Jinhan.

Rule and society

Each statelet was ruled by its own chief, with walled settlements and rice and millet farming. Its iron was its great asset: Byeonhan supplied iron to Mahan, Wa in Japan and the Lelang and Daifang commanderies, and iron ingots served as currency. Chinese writers also mention the custom of flattening infants' heads and large bird feathers placed in burials.

Decline and legacy

From the 1st century CE the Byeonhan statelets developed into the Gaya confederacy, traditionally dated to 42 when King Suro founded Geumgwan Gaya at Gimhae. Archaeology shows a gradual change rather than a sharp break.

Lineage

Jin (Korean state) 300 BCE – 100 BCEByeonhanGaya confederacy 42 CE – 562 CE

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Byeonhan. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/byeonhan
MLA
“Byeonhan.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/byeonhan. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Byeonhan.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/byeonhan.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Byeonhan’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/byeonhan (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻