문경 석탄박물관

Mungyeong Coal Museum - Mungyeong Eco Rala & Coal Museum

Useful Information

Location:	432-5 Wangneung-ri, Gaeun-eup, Mungyeong-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do. (36.653864, 128.062199)
Open:	DEC to JAN daily 9-17:30. FEB to MAR daily 9-18. APR to SEP daily 10-19. OCT to NOV daily 9-18. Last entry 1 hour before closing. [2022]
Fee:	Adults KRW 16,000, Children (12-18) KRW 14,000, Children (6-11) KRW 12,000, Children (0-5) free, Seniors (65+) KRW 8,000, Disabled free. Groups (+): Adults KRW 146,000, Children (12-18) KRW 12,000, Children (6-11) KRW 10,000. [2022]
Classification:	Coal Mine Mining Museum
Light:	Incandescent
Dimension:	L=400 km.
Guided tours:	self guided. Eunseong Tunnel: L=800 m.
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	yes
Bibliography:
Address:	Mungyeong Coal Museum, 432-5 Wangneung-ri, Gaeun-eup, Mungyeong-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1930	Ilsan Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. thoroughly investigates the condition of coal reserves around Gaeun.
21-AUG-1934	Ilsan Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. purchases the ground.
01-DEC-1938	Eunseong Anthracite Coal Mine begins operation.
1942	diesel locomotive railway Jeomchon-Gaeun begins operation.
APR-1943	Ilsan Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. merged with Japan Mining Co., Ltd.
15-AUG-1945	Liberation, Japanese people who worked in the Eunseong Coal Mine return to Korea.
18-MAR-1946	mine operated under the direct control of the U.S. Military Government Office Commerce Department Gwangmu Bureau.
1948	transferred to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
1950	Korea Coal Corporation established, takes over Eunseong Coal Mine.
1963	Shinsa shaft completed.
1964	coal production of 400,000 tons achieved.
27-OCT-1979	fire accident with 44 dead miners.
31-JUL-1994	Korea Coal Corporation Eunseong Mine closed.
14-FEB-1995	plan for coal museum announced.
14-OCT-1996	beginning of museum construction.
20-MAY-1999	museum opened to the public.
2010	Central Exhibition Hall remodeling.
SEP-2018	museum now operated by Mungyeong Eco-Rala, renamed Mungyeong Eco Rala & Coal Museum.

Geology

The mined coal seam was called Sweet Potato Coal Seam. Unfortunately it was discontinuous and as a result the production changed continuously. But the quality of the coal was very good, and it was high-caloric.

Description

문경 석탄박물관 (Mungyeong Coal Museum) is a coal museum established in an actual coal mine area. It consists of two parts, a circular building with the exhibition space and an open air museum called Coal Miners Village. This mine town has a gwangwon house, barber shop, bathhouse, main gun, old market, butcher shop, and employee houses. The museum is managed by an eco company since 2018 and the main goal is now to explain the ecological future. However, the open air museum, exhibition and the underground tour are still available.

Baekdudaegan Theme Hall presents the ecology, culture, and future vision of Baekdu-daegan. There is a 360° cinema which is called eco circle. The exhibition Eco Farm explains eco-friendly farming methods and eco-friendly gardens. The giant forest is a sort of children's playground on steroids.

For the mining museum part start at the easy to find circular museum building. It contains numerous exhibitions with the topics the birth of the universe to the formation of the earth, the origin and transition of coal, and the process of coal formation. The work of the coal miner is displayed with dioramas with wax dolls, coal mining, transporting the coal, and the life after work. Quite spectacular is a diorama with a mine trains bringing miners from work in the mine. Machinery and tools on display are originaly and working. There is a rock shovel, a mine cart with a shovel to put pumice stone into the cart. The rock drill is powered by pressurized air and used to drill holes for explosives. The colpic, also powered by pressurized air, is used to roosen the coal at the coal face. There are numerous more important tools explained and on display, like auger drill mine safety light, dust masks, and the self-rescue machine. Quite fundamental: they explain why carbide lamps were banned from the coal mine.

The main feature of the mining museum is obviously the 은성갱도 (Eunseong Tunnel) with its underground tour, which make this an actual show mine. The tunnel was dug in 1963 and in use until the Eunseong Mining Plant closed in 1994. There are again dioramas with dolls underground, showing the mine office, a mining train, gas inspection by the safety supervisor. The mining itself is diplayed in two szenes, on showing the historic Wigyeong Saseungmakjang mining, the other showing modern mining with an oyster hut. Another scene shows miners having a quick meal before they return to work.

탄광사택촌 (Coal Miners Village) is a typical village built for the miners during the operation of Eunseong Mining Company. Quite weird for western eyes is the entrance gate with inscription. There is a barber shop from the 1960s and 1970s, also a public bath, which were part of the welfare center building. There is also a butcher shop and an old market, and a sort of pub which sells wine. The private residence shows the live of a normal miner, the employee's house is the residence of the manager level or higher. Most houses did not have a water supply, water was drawn from a common well or a common water supply.

There is also a huge filing location part of the museum. Numerous historic castles were re-erected and are used frequently for historic movies.