Although this time period is known as the "Three Kingdoms" period, other lesser states were involved. The three main kingdoms of Shilla, Baekje, and Goguryeo all arose at the expense of these smaller states, which mostly were more or less confederations of chiefdoms. Though ultimately overrun or subjugated by the more powerful kingdoms, these states nonetheless played a role in shaping the Three Kingdoms era.
Gaya 가야
Gaya was a small confederacy of chiefdoms that was concentrated mostly in the present-day region of Gyeongsangnam-do and partly in Gyeongsangbuk-do, situated between the kingdoms of Baekje and Shilla. Gaya's main centers were in present-day Gimhae-si 김해시 and Sangju-si 상주시.
According to the legends recorded in the Samguk Yusa, the founders of Gaya emerged from six eggs that descended from the sky. Among these founders was Suro 수로. King Suro was the first ruler of Bon-Gaya 본가야, which emerged from Guya 구야 at present-day Gimhae-si. Ijinasi 이지나시 became the first ruler of Dae-Gaya 대가야 at Goryeong 고령. These two eventually joined with other domains in the region to form the Gaya confederacy.
Aside from sparse extant historical documentation from other states and local legends, there is little known about the history of Gaya as it never developed into a sophisticated state society along the lines of the three major Korean kingdoms of the Samguk era. Its precarious situation between Shilla and Baekje prevented it from developing fully and it was ultimately absorbed into the Shilla kingdom after a series of conflicts.
It is known that Gaya had close ties with the emerging Japanese state of Wa and that technology from the mainland travelled to Japan via Gaya, but the nature of this relationship remains controversial. The link between Gaya and ancient Kyushu was once cited as a justification for Japanese imperialism on the Korean peninsula. The Japanese Nihonshoki historical records claim that the early Yamato state was able to vassalize the Gaya confederation. This remains a controversial point between Korean and Japanese scholars. What is understood from archeological and historical records is that Gaya was a major trade partner with the Japanese archipelago.
Tamna 탐라
Tamna was the ancient kingdom that once ruled Jeju Island 제주도. Historical records of Tamna's early history are non-existent and what is known comes only from ancient myths passed through local traditions and outside historical records from the mainland. Local myths claim that the ancestors of Tamna were three semi-divine men - Go 고, Yang 양, and Bu 부 - who emerged from three holes at the site known today as "Samseonghyeol" 삼성혈. These men would later marry three princesses sent from the mainland and found the Tamna kingdom.
During the Samguk period, Tamna was a tributary state to Baekje and then to Shilla. It had trade relations with the Korean mainland, China, and Japan. While Tamna was a tributary kingdom in the Samguk period and a vassal state in the Goryeo period, it maintained a high degree of autonomy until it was fully integrated into the Joseon kingdom in 1404 CE.
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