History of Gyeongju - Goryeo and Joseon Periods

Goryeo and Joseon Periods

Under the Goryeo dynasty (935-1392), Gyeongju was no longer of national importance. However, it remained a regional center. The city was given its modern name "Gyeongju" by King Taejo in 940, and was made the seat of Yeongnam Province. Its had jurisdiction over a wide area, including much of east-central Yeongnam.

Gyeongju was designated the "Eastern Capital" in 987, but that title was removed in 1012. For much of the Goryeo period, it was also the seat of the Andong Daedohobu, the Great Protectorate of the East, which oversaw military affairs for much of eastern and central Korea. However, it was stripped of this distinction as well in the 13th century, after bloody rebellions connected with the Silla restoration movement broke out in the area. At the same time, its boundaries were considerably reduced.

During the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), the city declined yet further. It ceased to occupy a central position as the Great Yeongnam Road became the Gyeongsang province's chief artery. This road connected Seoul to the southeastern port of Dongnae (in modern-day Busan) without passing near Gyeongju. In 1601, the provincial capital passed to Daegu, which was located on the main road.

Over these centuries, the city's relics suffered numerous assaults. In the 13th century, Mongol forces destroyed a nine-story wooden pagoda at Hwangnyongsa. During the Imjin War (1592–1598), the Gyeongju area became a heated battlefield and Japanese forces burned the wooden structures at Bulguksa. Not all damage was due to invasions, however. 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.