Gyeongju is the former capital of the kingdom of '''Silla''', which ruled most of Korea in the 7th to the 9th century. Due to a history of more than 1,000 years as the residence of Korean rulers it holds a rich heritage of sights and remains of that period. The city undertakes a lot of effort to preserve that heritage.Today's Gyeongju has a population of around 260,000, but retains a small-city feel and is fairly easy to get around. Not many foreigners make it here, so tourists should expect some attention from the locals, but if you approach them openly you will be rewarded with lots of interesting and positive interaction. http://wikitravel.org/en/Gyeongju