Have you heard of the county of Tamna? This country was a place located in the South Sea approximately 87 km or 54 miles away from Baekje of the Three Kingdoms period. Although many people have not heard of Tamna they do know it from its other name Jeju. Tamna, because of its interesting past, has a distinct culture all of its own.
Tamna has had Stone tools found that give evidence of people living there since the stone age. There was also a great number of Dolmen (prehistoric rock formations) and earthenware found showing that the people of Tamna had created their own way of living since this time.
Tamna was a country of its own for a long portion of its history. The country was first recorded in Korean historical texts during the Three Kingdoms Period and was recognized as an independent country. Tamna first established relations with Baekje and then Silla following Baekje’s collapse. Tamna even had diplomatic contact with what is now considered modern day China(Han, Soo, and Tang Dynasty) and Japan.
Tamna continued to rule as an independent country until 1105 under Goryeo King Sukjong’s reign. At that time Goryeo annexed Tamna and redistricted it to a region of Goryeo. However, Tamna kept its royal family as the head of its local government.
This rule continued until around the Joseon dynasty. After the Joseon Dynasty, the name of the former country Tamna was changed to what the world today knows as Jeju. Jeju is a part of the Republic of Korea today, and in 2007, to reflect island’s regional, historic, economic and historic features, it was designated a self-governing province.
Written by : Mariah Abdelfattah
From Southern California, United States. Currently a senior B.A Candidate in Korean Language Flagship at the University of Hawaii Mānoa. Attending Korea University as an exchange student and a Intern at VANK(Voluntary Agency Network of Korea).