South Korea Through History: Who Ruled Its Lands

The land of today's South Korea appears on 39 historical border maps from 500 BC to today. Over that time it was held, in whole or in part, by 15 different states, among them Korea, Silla, Empire of Japan, Korea, Republic of, Paekche.

South Korea

Explore the history of South Korea in the interactive map

Compare 1000 with today

Who ruled the land of South Korea, map by map

Share of sample points inside today's borders held by each state on each map. Areas with no organised state on the map are left out.

Historic cities in South Korea

• Seoul
• Gyeongju

Famous people of South Korea

Landmarks

• GyeongbokgungStanding · 1395

Questions

Which empires and states ruled the territory of South Korea?

On the border maps from 500 BC to today, the largest shares of the territory of modern South Korea belonged to Korea, Silla, Empire of Japan, Korea, Republic of, Paekche, Goryeo, along with 9 other states.

What was South Korea part of in 1000?

On the border map for 1000, most of the territory of today's South Korea lay within Korea.

What was South Korea part of in 1500?

On the border map for 1500, most of the territory of today's South Korea lay within Korea.

What was South Korea part of in 1900?

On the border map for 1900, most of the territory of today's South Korea lay within Korea.

Further reading

• History of South Korea in Encyclopaedia Britannica
• History of South Korea on Wikipedia

Last updated 9 November 2026. Sources: border data from historical-basemaps, land and rivers from Natural Earth; texts written for Chronica Maps from standard reference works. How we make the maps.