chiefdom · Korea and Japan

Usan

400 CE – 512 CE (approx.)

An island state on Ulleungdo in the East Sea, conquered by Silla in 512 in a famous episode involving wooden lions.

Origins

Usan, centred on the island of Ulleungdo, appears only in Korean chronicles. Nothing is known of its founding; its people probably lived by fishing and small-scale farming on the volcanic island.

Rule and society

The Samguk sagi describes its inhabitants as fierce and confident in their isolation, but records nothing of its rulers or institutions.

Decline and legacy

In 512 the Silla general Isabu sailed to Usan with wooden lions on his ships and threatened to release them unless the islanders surrendered; they submitted and paid annual tribute. Korea later cited Usan in claims to nearby islets.

Few sources survive for this state; details are uncertain.

Connections (1)

  • Usan was conquered by Silla512 CE

More states of Korea and Japan →

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

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻