chiefdom · Korea and Japan

Seongsan Gaya

200 CE – 562 CE (approx.) · capital Seongju

A Gaya polity at Seongju on the middle Nakdong, one of the six Gaya states of legend, closely tied to Silla.

Origins

Seongsan Gaya, also called Byeokjin Gaya, is identified with Byeokjin-guk, a Byeonhan statelet, and is listed in the Samguk yusa as one of the six Gaya states founded in 42 CE. Its centre lay in the Seongju basin north of Daegaya.

Rule and society

Few records survive. The large tombs at Seongsan-dong contain stoneware and metalwork largely of Silla style, suggesting that its elite fell under Silla influence early while remaining nominally part of the Gaya world.

Decline and legacy

It was absorbed by Silla, at the latest during the final conquest of the Gaya states around 562, and became a Silla district.

Few sources survive for this state; details are uncertain.

Connections (2)

More states of Korea and Japan →

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

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻