[3][4] It is the second largest city by area in the province after Andong, covering 1,324 km2 (511 sq mi) with a population of 264,091 people as of December 2012[update].

[7] The city borders Cheongdo and Yeongcheon to the west, Ulsan to the south and Pohang to the north, while to the east lies the coast of the Sea of Japan.

[8] Gyeongju was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Silla (57 BC – 935 AD), which ruled about two-thirds of the Korean peninsula at its height between the 7th and 9th centuries, for close to one thousand years.

[21] As well as its rich historical heritage, Gyeongju today is affected by the economic, demographic, and social trends that have shaped modern South Korean culture.

However, that title was removed in 1012, the third year of King Hyeongjong's reign, due to political rivalries at that time,[34][36] though Gyeongju was later made the seat of Yeongnam Province.

In the early Joseon period, a great deal of damage was done to Buddhist sculptures on Namsan by Neo-Confucian radicals, who hacked arms and heads off statuary.

[47] In a period marked by widespread conflict and unrest, the Gyeongju area became particularly notorious for the level of guerrilla activity in the mountains.

However, for a brief time in late 1950 portions of the city stood on the front lines, as North Korean forces pushed the Pusan Perimeter southward from Pohang.

[50][51] The POSCO steel mill in neighboring Pohang commenced operations in 1973,[52] and the chemical manufacturing complex in Ulsan emerged in the same year.

[22] Gyeongju lies in the southeastern corner of North Gyeongsang Province, and is bounded by the metropolitan city of Ulsan on the south.

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.

A small area of the south, just west of the Dongdae range, drains into the Taehwa River, which flows into the Bay of Ulsan.

The central administration is composed of a City Council committee, five departments, two subsidiary organs, a chamber (the auditor), and six business offices.

For instance, the contrast between the local dialect form "소내기" (sonaegi) and the standard "소나기" (sonagi, meaning "rainshower") has been seen as reflecting the ancient phonemic character of the Silla language.

[94] Silla burial mounds built after the period of the Three Kingdoms are found in central Gyeongju, including tumuli in the districts of Noseo-dong, Nodong-dong, Hwangnam-dong, Hwango-dong and Inwang-dong.

[32] Notable Gyeongju residents in the Silla period included most of the kingdom's leading figures, not only rulers but scholars such as Seol Chong and Ch'oe Ch'i-wŏn,[95][96][97] and generals like Kim Yu-sin, the leader of the Hwarang warriors.

[101][102][103] In modern times, the city produced writers such as Kim Dongni and Pak Mok-wol, both of whom did a great deal to popularize the region's culture,[42][104][105] as well as Choe Jun, a wealthy businessman who established the Yeungnam University Foundation.

Such mountains include Namsan near the city center,[112] Danseok-san and Obong-san in the west, and the low peak of Hyeong-san on the Gyeongju-Pohang border.

[122][123] Local specialties with a somewhat longer pedigree include beopju, a traditional Korean liquor produced by the Gyeongju Choe in Gyo-dong.

The soup is made by boiling soybean sprout, sliced memilmuk (buckwheat starch jelly), sour kimchi (pickled vegetables) and gulfweed in a clear broth of dried anchovy and Alaska pollack.

[134][135] Many of public sport facilities are located in Hwangseong Park with an area of 1,022,350 m2 (11,004,500 sq ft) including a luxuriant pine trees forest.

[149] The manufacturing sector is closely tied to nearby cities, utilizing Gyeongju's transit links with Ulsan, Pohang, and Daegu.

[63] Fishing industry in Gyeongju is generally in a declined status due to relatively inconvenient transport conditions and lacks of subordinate facilities.

Mainly, sauries, anchovies, rays are harvested and a small number of abalone and wakame farming takes place.

[155] A significant portion of Gyeongju's tourist traffic is due to the city's promotion of itself as a site for various festivals, conferences, and competitions.

In 2009, the filming of the Queen Seondeok, a popular MBC TV series took place in a studio at Silla Millennium Park located in Bomun Lake Resort.

[177][178] Gyeongju is strongly associated with the education tradition of Hwarangdo ("Way of the Flower of Young Men") which was established and flourished during the Silla period.

[196] One of the sewage treatment plants, Angang Sewage Disposal Plant began operating in April 2005 by the co-investment of the governments of North Gyeongsang and Gyeongju with a fund of 44,300,000,000 won to install facilities to prevent the pollution of the Hyeongsan River, which is a main water source for Gyeongju and Pohang residents.

The plant is located on a spacious site with 39,000 m2 (420,000 sq ft) in Homyeong-ri, Gangdong-myeon in Gyeongju where nature friendly facilities provide recreational venues for the locals.

Through 56.1 km (34.9 mi) of sewer pipes and 14 pumping stations, the plant has a capacity of 18,000 tonnes of domestic sewage per day that comes from Angang-eup, and Gangdong-myeon.