Gwangmyeong Cave광명동굴

At a glance

Gwangmyeong Cave began as the Siheung Mine, which the Japanese colonial government started digging in 1912 to extract resources, and it is remembered as a site of forced labor; after liberation it kept working through Korea's industrial growth until it closed in 1972. For about 40 years it lay idle as a storehouse for salted shrimp, until Gwangmyeong City bought it in 2011 and turned it into a history and culture attraction. It now draws more than a million visitors a year, and there is a VR experience inside.

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Gwangmyeong Cave · 4 tours & tickets

1. GetYourGuideStarfield Library, Hwaseong & Gwangmyeong Cave tourA 9–10 hour day tour from Seoul to Suwon Hwaseong Fortress, Starfield Library Suwon and Gwangmyeong Cave.Book
2. KlookHwadam, Gwangmyeong Cave & Folk Village tourA day tour of about 9 hours to Hwadam Botanic Garden, Gwangmyeong Cave and the Korean Folk Village.Book
3. KKdayGwangmyeong Cave, fairy tale village & rail bike tourA day tour to Gwangmyeong Cave, Songwol-dong Fairy Tale Village in Incheon and a rail bike ride.Book
4. KlookFolk Village, Gwangmyeong Cave & Uiwang rail bikeA day trip from Seoul to the Korean Folk Village, Gwangmyeong Cave (a former gold mine) and the Uiwang rail bike.Book

Places to stay nearby

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Map

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Tips

• 01
  It's closed on Mondays, so plan a Gwangmyeong day for Tuesday to Sunday.

Nearby

Gwanaksan MountainA craggy 632 m mountain south of the Han River, often climbed from Seoul National University, with Yeonjudae hermitage perched on a cliff near the top.Sorae Wetland Ecological ParkFormer salt fields and tidal flats in Incheon restored as a vast wetland park, with reed beds, windmills and a salt-making exhibit.SEOULDALA tethered helium balloon that lifts up to 20 riders at a time above Yeouido Park for wide views of Seoul, especially after dark.E-Land Han River CruiseSightseeing boats on the Han River from Yeouido and Jamsil, from daytime loops to night cruises timed for the Banpo Bridge fountain.