Across from Gyeongju Express Bus Terminal, along a busy street where travelers come and go, a rather unusual OLIVE YOUNG store has opened. Inside, customers don't always head straight for the checkout after picking up their products. Some stop to admire the Silla clay figurines called Tou and take photos. Others settle by the second-floor windows to relax, chat with friends, or open a book and study. Some visitors even spend close to two hours in the store. This is the scene at OLIVE YOUNG Gyeongju Silla, which opened on October 16. Spanning approximately 446 square meters across two floors, it is the largest OLIVE YOUNG store in Gyeongju, a historic city in southeastern South Korea. But its size is far from what makes it special. From smelling the fragrant notes of different teas and exploring a variety of gua sha tools to making a wish or simply doing nothing for a while, the store is designed around experiences that go beyond shopping. The idea reflects a shift in how people travel in Gyeongju. More visitors are looking to wander through the city at a slower pace and enjoy a little breathing room. What kind of space could offer them that experience? OLIVE YOUNG found inspiration in Gyeongju's history and culture, adding a touch of imagination to create a story of its own. At the center of it all are little Silla clay figurines with tiny green sprouts growing from their heads. A story inspired by Silla’s beauty culture: The OLIVE YOUNG Silla Tale The story begins at OLIVE YOUNG Gyeongju Hwangnam, which first opened in late 2024. When developing a store that would reflect Gyeongju's local character, OLIVE YOUNG's Spatial Design Team began by exploring the history and culture of the ancient Silla Kingdom. One detail that caught their attention was how people in Silla approached beauty. According to the Samguk Sagi (History of the Three Kingdoms, a historical record of Korea's Three Kingdoms period), during the reign of King Jinheung (540-576), young men selected for their good looks were groomed as an elite band of valiant warriors called Hwarang. This offered a starting point for connecting Silla's cultural heritage with OLIVE YOUNG's focus on beauty. The idea then evolved into another well-known piece of Silla history: the founding legend of Bak Hyeokgeose, the kingdom's first ruler, who was said to have emerged from an egg. What if a green egg representing OLIVE YOUNG had landed in Gyeongju? And what if extraordinary little creatures had emerged from it? This imaginative question became the starting point for the OLIVE YOUNG Silla Tale, an original story created by OLIVE YOUNG. According to the tale, little clay figurines emerged from the green egg. Inspired by actual Silla Tou, OLIVE YOUNG created its own characters, called Toyoung. In the story, the Toyoung characters make a mysterious powder and share it with the people of Silla, who become more beautiful after using it. At OLIVE YOUNG Gyeongju Hwangnam, this imaginative tale inspired a store that brings Silla's history and culture to life through a series of displays and installations. But what story could the second store, OLIVE YOUNG Gyeongju Silla, tell? This time, the Spatial Design Team decided to expand the meaning of beauty. While Gyeongju Hwangnam focused on outward beauty and personal grooming, Gyeongju Silla would explore inner beauty as well: a sense of peace, well-being, and vitality. In the new chapter, the people of Silla become curious about the Toyoung characters, who always seem so lively and at ease. How do these little creatures manage to stay so happy and relaxed? As the people begin to follow the Toyoung characters' everyday habits, they rediscover a sense of calm and energy. The Toyoung characters also grow a little along the way. The tiny sprouts on their heads symbolize their transformation as they discover a different kind of beauty from within. OLIVE YOUNG Gyeongju Silla is the second chapter of this original story. But rather than simply displaying the tale, the store invites visitors to become part of it by trying the Toyoung characters’ activities for themselves. Four ways to follow the Toyoung characters and find your own rhythm At the heart of the store is a four-part journey featuring unique activities: Discover Your Tastes, Express Yourself, Do Nothing for a While, and Make a Wish. Each activity is inspired by the Toyoung characters' own ways of finding inner peace and renewed energy, inviting visitors to experience them for themselves throughout the store. The first journey, Discover Your Tastes, begins at the tea-aroma discovery zone on the first floor. Visitors can explore the scents of different teas and discover which they are more drawn to. Nearby, the K-Goods zone features souvenirs inspired by Gyeongju's cultural heritage, including magnets and bookmarks. It is a place to find a small keepsake that captures a personal discovery made along the way. The second journey, Express Yourself, brings OLIVE YOUNG's beauty expertise into the experience. At the gua sha island on the first floor, visitors can compare and try different gua sha tools, traditional massage tools used to stimulate the skin and relieve tension. Other experiences include SKIN SCAN and SCALP SCAN, which assess facial skin and scalp conditions, and COLOR FIT, a personal color analysis service that helps visitors discover shades that complement their individual coloring. Upstairs, a makeup bar and a shop-in-shop featuring Hapa Kristin contact lenses offer even more ways to explore personal style. The third journey, Do Nothing for a While, takes a different approach. Visitors can simply sit on the benches outside the store or relax in the second-floor lounge, inspired by a traditional Korean wooden veranda. There are no instructions to follow or activities to complete. Taking a seat and enjoying a quiet moment is enough. The final journey, Make a Wish, takes visitors to a reflection journal on the first floor and a wishing stone tower on the second-floor terrace. In the journal, visitors can write down anything they like, from hopes for the future and everyday worries to personal ways of finding calm when feeling frustrated. Reading other people's entries and leaving a message of encouragement is also a part of the experience. On the terrace, visitors can place a small stone on the tower while making a wish, following a familiar Korean tradition of stacking stones as a gesture of hope. Throughout the store, illustrations of the Toyoung characters demonstrate each activity, accompanied by short explanations. As visitors explore the space, they gradually discover the story and, almost without realizing it, become part of it. Of the four journeys, one stands out in particular: doing nothing. Why would a retail store, a place traditionally designed to sell products, make time for doing absolutely nothing part of its experience? Finding the value of rest in a city full of things to do Gyeongju is already full of things to see and experience. Visitors can try sibeonppang (a popular local pastry shaped like a Korean 10-won coin) along Hwangnidan-gil, explore cafes and boutiques housed in renovated traditional Korean homes, and encounter traces of the Silla Kingdom at almost every turn. They can stroll among the ancient royal tombs at Daereungwon, pass by Cheomseongdae Observatory, and admire the illuminated Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond after sunset. There is easily enough to fill an entire day. The Spatial Design Team, however, asked a different question: In a city with so much to offer, what kind of new experience could OLIVE YOUNG bring to visitors? The answer came from the changing way people travel. For many visitors, a trip to Gyeongju is an opportunity to step away from the pace of everyday life and spend time at a more leisurely rhythm. What if, instead of adding yet another activity to an already full itinerary, OLIVE YOUNG created a place where visitors could simply stop and do nothing for a while? That idea became the inspiration for the Do Nothing for a While experience. Alongside the variety of products, convenient shopping, and interactive experiences expected of a retail store, OLIVE YOUNG introduced something less conventional: a place to pause and recharge. The intention can be seen in the smallest details of the space. The lounge area by the second-floor windows, inspired by a traditional Korean toetmaru (a raised wooden veranda commonly found in traditional Korean homes), features deeper seating than an ordinary bench. Rather than offering a place to perch briefly, it was deliberately designed with enough room for visitors to stretch out their legs or sit cross-legged and relax. From the seats, visitors can look up at the sky or turn their gaze toward the wishing stone tower. The lighting was also specially developed to complement the atmosphere, while the music takes a quieter direction than the upbeat tracks typically associated with OLIVE YOUNG stores. Here, the soundtrack is made up of calmer melodies that invite visitors to slow down. Visitors are staying longer and finding unexpected ways to enjoy the store Since opening, the store has already seen a number of unexpected scenes unfold. Some customers remain inside shopping even after employees have finished their lunch breaks and returned to work. Marathon participants have stopped by wearing their race bibs to take photos, while travelers dressed in traditional Korean hanbok have visited the terrace to make wishes at the stone tower. One of the most surprising highlights has been the reflection journal on the first floor. According to Hyeonbi Han, store manager at OLIVE YOUNG Gyeongju Silla, the team initially expected the wishing stone tower on the second-floor terrace to attract more attention. In reality, however, visitors have been particularly drawn to the journal tucked inside the store. Its pages are filled with all kinds of messages: hopes for passing exams, everyday worries, playful drawings and doodles, and notes left by international visitors in their own languages. Some customers have even asked whether they could purchase the journal itself. While tourists are busy leaving behind personal memories, local residents have their own reasons for visiting. The store brings together a wide selection of products with experiences such as the makeup bar and skin analysis services. SKIN SCAN, in particular, has become so popular that customers often wait in line. Some use the time to explore and try products at the gua sha island before making a purchase. The store also attracts a relatively broad range of visitors, from young children to middle-aged and older customers, reflecting its appeal beyond any single age group. From a green egg to memories made by visitors OLIVE YOUNG's design-focused stores aim to capture the distinctive stories and character of each location, offering visitors a new way to discover what makes a place special. The story that began at OLIVE YOUNG Gyeongju Hwangnam is now continuing at Gyeongju Silla. In fact, to celebrate the opening of the new store, OLIVE YOUNG distributed promotional leaflets at its stores across Gyeongju. Among the customers who visited Gyeongju Silla with one of these leaflets, eight out of ten had received theirs at Gyeongju Hwangnam. It is a small but telling example of how a shopping experience that begins along Hwangnidan-gil can naturally lead visitors to explore another part of the city. Han, the store manager, hopes Gyeongju Silla will become a comfortable place for both travelers and local residents. A place to stop by when first arriving in Gyeongju, while waiting for a bus home, or simply when there's no particular shopping to be done. A place to pick up everyday essentials, take a break, and leave with a new memory. OLIVE YOUNG Gyeongju Silla expands the role a beauty store can play in a travel destination. Here, even a moment spent doing nothing can become a meaningful part of the journey.