Gwangmyeong cave could be a popular tourist attraction

Gwangmyeong cave could be a popular tourist attraction. July. 20, 2016 07:01. by 남경현기자 bibulus@donga.com. Gwangmyeong Cave, of which the name was given after the city where it is located, is appraised to be equivalent as the world’s top 30 industrial heritages. The cave is vying for a UNESCO World Heritage nomination.

According to the city of Gwangmyeong, Kim Jeong-hoo, principal of JHK Urban Research Lab, said in the final report for asset analysis research of the cave that it is developing into a tourist spot on a par with world’s top 30 industrial heritages, let alone the best one developed among abandoned mines in Asia. Kim is a professor on Special Assignment of School of Urban Studies at Hanyang University, and one of the renowned experts in the field in Korea.

The UNESCO world heritage includes 33 industrial heritages including factories, modern industrial facilities, and eight mines.

Professor Kim projected the number of annual visitors to Gwangmyeong Cave will reach 1.5 million this year. Some 920,000 people visited the cave since April last year when it began to charge entrance fee, and 610,000 as of July 12 this year, expecting to attract more than 1 million tourists by August. The figure is much higher than visitors to Suwon Hwaseong Fortress (410,000), the Tomb of Sejong the Great in Yeoju (400,000) and Haengju Fortress in Goyang (220,000) and Namhan Mountain Fortress (110,000).

Based on the report, the city of Gwangmyeong says it is confident that it can compete with the Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex of Germany or Wieliczka Salt Mine of Poland, which are designated as UNESCO world heritage sites.

“I believe that Gwangmyeong cave will be able to become a global tourism site by benchmarking the two cases and building a culture and art complex as well as a place for relaxing, and diversifying profit models by attracting tour programs and events,” said Gwangmyeong Mayor Yang Ki-dae. "The cave has the potential to be designated as a world heritage if we preserve and utilize well the unique cultural facilities of the cave.”