Gyeongju was the capital of Silla during the kingdom’s traditional Chuseok origin story.
Ancient Gyeongju was known as Geumseong and served as the political and cultural center of Silla for centuries. The traditional Gabae account is associated with King Yuri, whose reign belongs to Silla’s early history. Modern Gyeongju preserves extensive archaeological remains from the Silla period.
The city’s tombs, temples, observatory, and palace sites help explain why it is often called a museum without walls. These monuments are separate from the later development of Chuseok as a nationwide family holiday, but they provide the historical setting for the Gabae narrative.
Seoul became Korea’s principal political center much later, under the Joseon dynasty and in the modern Republic of Korea. Busan and Jeonju are also important Korean cities, but neither was Silla’s capital in this story.