Miracle of an abandoned mine
A Sustainable Economy Model, Gwangmyeong Cave

Year mine opened: 1912
Year mine closed: 1972
Substances mined: Gold, silver, bronze, zinc, etc.
Length of mine: 7.8 km (open 2 km)
Level of mine: Level 0 ~ lower ground level 7 (for a total of 8 levels)
Total depth: 275 m
Area of mine: 42,797㎡

Gwangmyeong Cave (formerly named as Siheung Mine) which was shut down in 1972 is a place where people were drafted to work by force and abused during the Japanese Colonial Rule and the trace of modern industrialization still remains. It was abandoned for 40 years, from 1972 to 2011, with the strong smell of salted shrimps. In 2011, after being purchased by Gwangmyeong City, it has been transformed into a place where people can relax and enjoy cultural and art experiences. It is considered the best cave theme park in Korea with combination of industrial heritage and cultural value, and accomplished the miracle of an abandoned mine.

Since it opened with an admission charge in April 2014, Gwangmyeong Cave received over 1 million of tourists in just 10 months, earned 4 billion won in revenue, created 200 jobs and became a successful creative economic exemplar in Korea contributing to mutually beneficial growth from both a city and rural perspective, and a reinvigoration of the regional economy. In 2017, attracting 1.2 million of tourists, earned 8 billion won in revenue, and created 512 jobs with new attractions.

Golden Mine, Golden Cave Gwangmyeong Cave was initially developed as a golden mine. As of 1950, the total mineral deposit of the cave was estimated at 19,000 ton. 52kg of gold was discovered from 1955 until 1972 when the mine closed down. It is assumed that the mine, which had commenced digging gold in 1912, has produced hundreds of kilograms of gold until 1954. Although it ceased operation in 1972 due to environmental pollution by flood and difficulties regarding compensation, experts agree that there is still a large sum of gold buried inside the cave waiting to be discovered.