This article is about the history of Gyeongju. Gyeongju is a coastal city in the far southeastern corner of North Gyeongsang province in South Korea. It is the second largest city by area in the province after Andong, covering 1,324 km2 (511 sq mi) with a population of 269,343 people according to the 2008 census. The early history of Gyeongju is closely tied to that of the Silla kingdom, of which it was the capital for nearly one thousand years.