Gwangmyeong Cave

S099001 · CC BY-SA 4.0

A colonial-era gold mine left empty for forty years, now a man-made cave with a wine cellar and a wall of light.

The Gwangmyeong mine was opened by the Japanese in 1912 for gold, silver and zinc; after it closed in 1972 it spent four decades as a store for salted shrimp, because the tunnels hold a steady twelve degrees. In 2011 the city bought it back and turned the workings into an exhibition space: a cellar for Korean winemakers, a cave with a water-and-music show, an art lighting section, and an enormous dragon left over from a film. When it is forty degrees outside it is still twelve in here — reason enough to come in summer.

Visitor information

When is the best time to visit Gwangmyeong Cave?

June–August (to escape the heat), or year-round

How much does it cost to visit Gwangmyeong Cave?

6,000 KRW

How long do you need at Gwangmyeong Cave?

2 hours

What are the opening hours of Gwangmyeong Cave?

09:00–18:00, last entry 17:00, closed Mondays

Did you know

The mine opened in 1912 for gold, silver and zinc, and closed in 1972.
The tunnels stay around 12°C all year.
It was used as a salted shrimp store for nearly 40 years.
Gwangmyeong city reopened it as a visitor attraction in 2011.

Travel tips

Bring a jacket even in midsummer — it is genuinely cold inside.
The tunnel is long and sloping; flat shoes help.
Weekends are busy, so come early in the morning.

Source: https://us.trip.com/travel-guide/attraction/gwangmyeong/gwangmyeong-cave-50695217/

Updated: 2026-08-04