Name: Gwangmyeong Cave
Address: 142 Gahak-ro 85beon-gil, Gwangmyeong-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
Telephone: 070-4277-8902
Rating: 4.3

Former mining cave complex turned entertainment venue, with light shows, an aquarium & a winery.

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Gwangmyeong Cave was originally a gold mine, active from 1903 until 1972, playing a significant role in Korea's industrial development and even during the Japanese colonial period.

Former Gold Mine

After being closed for decades and used as a storage facility for salted shrimp, Gwangmyeong Cave was reopened to the public as a cultural and tourist attraction in 2011.

Rebirth as Tourist Site

The cave boasts the largest underground wine cellar in Korea, storing over 194,000 bottles of Korean-made wine from various regions, available for tasting and purchase.

Underground Wine Cellar

The cave features an extensive network of tunnels stretching approximately 7.8 kilometers, though only a portion is accessible to the public for exploration.

Extensive Tunnels

The cave maintains a consistent cool temperature of around 13°C (55°F) year-round, offering a refreshing escape during hot summers and a unique environment for its various attractions.

Constant Cool Temperature

Visitors can find an unexpected underground aquarium within the cave, showcasing various freshwater fish species in a unique subterranean environment.

Subterranean Aquatic Life

Beyond its natural beauty, the cave hosts various art installations, a performance hall, a 'Cave Aqua World,' and even a 'Golden Road' with golden sculptures, making it a multi-faceted cultural complex.

Cultural Complex

After its closure as a mine in 1972, the cave was repurposed for decades as a storage facility for salted shrimp (saeu-jeot) due to its stable cool temperatures, before its transformation into a tourist site.

Salted Shrimp Storage

Gwangmyeong Cave

Gwangmyeong Cave, originally known as Siheung Mine, stands as a remarkable testament to industrial transformation, having operated as a significant gold, silver, and copper mine from 1912 until its closure in 1972. This subterranean labyrinth, ingeniously repurposed into a vibrant cultural and artistic space, now captivates visitors with its unique blend of natural and man-made wonders. Within its cool depths, one discovers an expansive wine cave, showcasing a diverse collection of Korean wines, a truly unexpected feature for a former mining site. Further exploration reveals an enchanting Aqua World, home to various aquatic species, and a magnificent Golden Waterfall, a symbolic nod to its rich mineral past. The cave also hosts an impressive performance hall and an art center, providing a distinctive subterranean venue for cultural events. Its profound shift from a site of arduous labor to a dynamic cultural hub underscores a compelling narrative of resilience and reinvention, offering a unique perspective on industrial heritage.

Introduction

Gwangmyeong Cave has been transformed from a historic gold mine into a sprawling underground theme park, offering a distinctive blend of entertainment and cultural immersion. This subterranean destination, located conveniently near Seoul, provides a unique escape with its year-round mild temperature of 12-13 degrees Celsius. The park features an array of attractions, including the Wine Cave, which houses 170 types of Korean wines and hosts tasting sessions. Visitors can explore the Cave Arts Center, the Golden Palace, and the Golden Waterfall, or experience the aquatic life in the Cave Aqua World. Further enhancing the experience are the Modern History Museum, a VR Center, and the enchanting Golden Road, adorned with wishes for prosperity. The cave also captivates with LED light shows and the nation's largest dragon sculpture, creating a fantastical atmosphere. As a regenerated space, Gwangmyeong Cave masterfully combines its industrial heritage with modern cultural creativity, drawing over a million visitors annually to its diverse facilities and engaging programs, such as black light performances and interactive gold-finding activities. This extensive redevelopment has established it as a premier destination for unique underground entertainment.

Underground Theme Park

Gwangmyeong Cave, located in Gwangmyeong-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, exemplifies a profound industrial heritage transformation. Originally a significant gold mine, its operations commenced in 1912, primarily extracting gold, silver, copper, and iron. This period, notably under Japanese colonial rule, saw the exploitation of workers, including peasants seeking refuge from forced labor, with the sheer size of the cave and painting residues serving as stark evidence of their hardship. Mining continued for six decades, yielding hundreds of kilograms of precious metals between 1912 and 1954, until flooding and pollution necessitated its closure in 1972. Following its industrial cessation, the cave found a temporary, albeit unusual, purpose as a storage facility for pickled shrimp from Sorae Port.

The true metamorphosis began in 2011 when the Gwangmyeong city government acquired the site for redevelopment. This initiative converted the subterranean industrial relic into a vibrant theme park, a regenerated space of cultural creativity. The transformation introduced over 20 entertainment facilities, including the Cave Arts Center, Wine Cave, Golden Palace, Golden Waterfall, Cave Aqua World, Cave Greenhouse, Underground Lake, Modern History Museum, and a VR Center. This comprehensive revamp successfully repurposed the former mine, shifting its identity from an industrial extraction site to a dynamic cultural and tourist destination. Recognized as a "Star of Korean Tourism" and a "100 Destination for Korean Visitors," Gwangmyeong Cave now attracts over a million visitors annually, showcasing a successful model of industrial heritage preservation and innovative repurposing.

Industrial Heritage Transformation

Gwangmyeong Cave in Gwangmyeong-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, distinguishes itself as a prominent hub for Korean wine, featuring a unique underground winery known as the Wine Cave. This specialized venue presents an impressive collection of approximately 170 different Korean wines, meticulously curated from 50 wineries across the country. Complementing the extensive wine selection, the Wine Cave also offers various Korean-made cheeses. A key feature for visitors is the daily provision of diverse wine samples, enabling a comprehensive tasting journey. Sommelier Choi Jeongwook enhances this experience by introducing specific regional specialties, such as persimmon wine from Cheongdo, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, and other unique fruit wines derived from local ingredients, thereby showcasing the breadth of Korea's viticulture. The Wine Cave functions as more than just a retail outlet; it's an immersive educational space. It provides wine classes led by a sommelier and offers free wine tastings, making the exploration of Korean wines both engaging and approachable. Visitors are encouraged to taste and purchase these Korean wines, which are recognized for their quality and affordability. This transformation of a former mining site into a vibrant wine hub underscores Gwangmyeong Cave's commitment to promoting local produce and offering a unique cultural experience centered around its subterranean winery.

Cave Winery

Gwangmyeong Cave transforms its subterranean environment into a dynamic canvas for art installations, offering visitors a unique cultural experience. The journey begins in Wormhole Square, illuminated by LED lighting shaped like marine organisms, guiding guests deeper into the cavern. A central highlight is the Cave Arts Center, a 350-seat venue where a CGI-enabled media facade projects vibrant, flamboyant primary colors onto the dome-shaped cave wall every twenty minutes, creating an immersive new media art spectacle. This space also hosts occasional performances, including orchestras, fashion shows, and cultural exhibitions. Further within, the Golden Palace presents an imaginary habitat with a six-pillar structure, while the Golden Plaque Wall of Wishes on the Golden Road allows visitors to contribute their desires. The Cave Aqua World features an aquifer pool sparkling in turquoise hues, home to "golden dragons" and other marine life, adding a living art dimension. One of the most striking installations is the 41-meter long, 800 kg dragon sculpture, the largest in Korea, crafted by New Zealand's Weta Workshop. Adjacent to this colossal figure, a life-size Gollum figure and Gandalf's wand from "The Lord of the Rings" films provide pop culture homage. The cave also integrates other pop culture references, such as a giant Hulk figure. Beyond permanent fixtures, Gwangmyeong Cave has served as a global convergence site for compound arts, notably hosting the Lascaux International Exhibition, designed by Jean Nouvel, which utilized the nation's largest beam projection video system. Past events have included "Barbie Dolls Exhibition" and "Dinosaur Experiential Exhibition," showcasing the cave's versatility as an exhibition space. Black Light Performances further enhance the artistic ambiance on weekends.

Subterranean Art Installations

Gwangmyeong Cave, originally known as the Siheung Mine, was established on May 2nd, 1903, in Gahak-ri, Siheung-gun. Its operational history is profoundly shaped by the Japanese Colonial Rule, during which the Japanese Government-General of Korea actively pressured King Gojong to invest in mining, creating a 'Deposits Investigation Agency' to monopolize gold and silver resources. The mine was re-established in 1912 under the Japanese name Iida Kyuichiro, signaling extensive Japanese efforts to extract minerals. Gold, silver, copper, and iron were the primary resources mined. In its heyday, approximately 500 miners, largely peasants, were either compelled into forced labor or worked under harsh conditions for survival. The vast quantities of minerals extracted during this period were sent to Japan, contributing to the manufacturing of weapons for the Pacific War, representing a significant plundering of resources before Korea's liberation. The mine's considerable scale and residual markings serve as stark reminders of the immense hardship faced by these miners, who toiled in dark, confined passageways with minimal light, enduring fear and extremely poor working conditions for extended periods. After being taken over by Iida Nobutaro in 1918, it became known as the Iida Siheung Mine, recording a mining value of 15,837 KRW in 1920 and an annual personnel capacity of 15,926. This era underscores Gwangmyeong Cave's painful legacy as an industrial heritage site deeply scarred by colonial exploitation.

Gwangmyeong Cave

Did You Know?

Former Gold Mine

Rebirth as Tourist Site

Underground Wine Cellar

Extensive Tunnels

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