Three-story Stone Pagoda of Bulguksa Temple, Gyeongju

The three-story stone pagoda of Bukguksa Temple, also known as Seokgatap (“Pagoda of Sakyamuni Buddha”), is presumed to date to the temple’s establishment in the mid-8th century during the Unified Silla period (668-935). This pagoda represents the Buddha of the present, Sakyamuni, and forms a pair with the adjacent stone pagoda, which represents the Buddha of the past, Prabhutaratna.

The pagoda consists of a two-tier base, three sets of body and roof stones, and a decorative top. The corners of the base and body stones are carved to look like pillars, and the undersides of the roof stones are carved into tiers. The decorative top was newly made in 1973 as the original was missing. The overall design is representative of Korean stone pagodas.

Seokgatap has been dismantled for repair and restoration four times in its history. During a repair in 1966, a copy of the Great Dharani Sutra dating to the early 8th century was found inside the pagoda. It is considered to be the oldest woodblock printing in the world.

Source: Korea Heritage Service signboard ↗ · collected 2026-10-08