chiefdom · Korea and Japan

Sogaya

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

A small Gaya state on the southern coast at modern Goseong, one of the six Gaya polities of the founding legend.

Origins

Sogaya, meaning Little Gaya, grew up around the bay of Goseong on the south coast. It is often identified with Goja-guk, one of the Byeonhan statelets named in Chinese records, and in legend its founder was one of the six brothers born from golden eggs in 42 CE.

Rule and society

As a coastal polity it depended on fishing and sea trade along the southern shore. It is often identified with one of the eight port states that, according to Korean chronicles, attacked a neighbouring Gaya state in the early 3rd century and were repelled with Silla's help. Tombs at Songhak-dong show contacts with Baekje, Silla and Japan.

Decline and legacy

Sogaya was absorbed by Silla during its conquest of the remaining Gaya states around 562, becoming part of Silla's local administration.

Few sources survive for this state; details are uncertain.

Connections (2)

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

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻