Gyeongju is an administrative division of South Korea and one of the most popular tourist destinations in South Korea. It lies in the far southeastern corner of North Gyeongsang Province, on the coast of the Sea of Japan (East Sea). Nearby cities include the industrial centers Ulsan and Pohang. Numerous low mountains, outliers of the Taebaek range, are scattered around the city.
Gyeongju is closely tied to that of the Silla kingdom, of which it was the capital. Gyeongju first enters non-Korean records as Saro-guk, during the Samhan period in the early Common Era. Korean records, probably based on the dynastic chronicles of Silla, record that Saro-guk was established in 57 BCE, when six small villages in the Gyeongju area united under Bak Hyeokgeose. As the kingdom expanded, it changed its name to Silla.
Gyeongju was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Silla. The Silla kingdom arose at the turn of the 1st millennium, and ruled most of the Korean Peninsula by the 7th century until the 9th centuries. A vast number of archaeological sites from this period remain in the city.
Today Gyeongju is a typical medium-sized city sharing the economic, demographic, and social trends that have shaped modern South Korean culture. While tourism remains the major economic driver, some manufacturing activities have developed thanks to its proximity to major industrial centers such as Ulsan. Gyeongju is connected to nationwide rail and highways, which facilitate both industrial and tourist traffic.
Gyeongju lies in the southeastern corner of North Gyeongsang Province, and is therefore bounded by the metropolitan city of Ulsan on the south. Within the province, its neighbors include Pohang on the north, Cheongdo County on the southwest, and Yeongcheon on the northwest. To the east, it has no neighbor but the sea.
Low mountains are widespread throughout Gyeongju. The highest of these are the Taebaek Mountains, which run along the city's western border. Gyeongju's highest point, Munbok Mountain, is 1013 meters above sea level.
Gyeongju's drainage patterns are shaped by these lines of mountains. The Dongdae Mountains divide a narrow piedmont area on their east, and various internal river systems to the west. Most of the city's interior is drained by the small Hyeongsan River, which flows north from Ulsan and meets the sea at Pohang Harbor. The Hyeongsan's chief tributaries include the Bukcheon and Namcheon, which join it in Gyeongju Basin. The southwestern corner of Gyeongju, on the far side of the Taebaek range, drains into the Geumho River, which then flows into the Nakdong
The Gyeongju coastline runs for 33 kilometers between Pohang in the north and Ulsan in the south. There are no islands or large bays, only the small indentations made by the small streams flowing off the Dongdae ridgeline. Because of this, the city has no significant ports. However, there are 12 small harbors. One such harbor in Gyeongju's southeast corner is home to the Ulsan base of the National Maritime Police. This base is responsible for security over a wide area of South Korea's east-central coast.
Alphabetical Listings of Hotels in Gyeongju
RECOMMENDED HOTELS WITH DISCOUNT
ALL RATES DISPLAYED ARE NETT INCLUSIVE OF TAXES AND SERVICE CHARGE
