The stable and powerful rule of the Silla dynasty lead to prosperity and a flourishing of culture. Scholarship greatly developed in many fields, such as mathematics and astronomy. Astronomy was also important in the Three Kingdoms period (traditionally 57 BC-AD 668). The oldest surviving observatory in Asia was built in the Silla capital of Kyŏngju in south-east Korea on the order of Queen Sŏndŏk in AD 634. The circular building is shaped like a flask with a concave neck and is constructed of 365 stone blocks.

The 8th-century Sŏkkuram cave temple stands as a good example of the development in mathematics and geometry. The interior of the temple is entirely balanced and harmonious due to the advanced geometrical proportions of the ground plan and the domed ceiling. Furthermore, the scale of the central Buddha figure and the surrounding figures were calculated to fit the space perfectly.

The technology of woodblock printing also developed at this time. The world’s oldest example of block printing was excavated from a pagoda at Pulguk Temple near Kyŏngju. The Buddhist manuscript was printed on twelve sheets and dates to the 8th century.