"Scorching Outside, Chilly Inside"... Abandoned Mine Turned Summer Resort 'Gwangmyeong Cave'

"Coming inside the cave feels chilly and gives off a blast of cold air."

Today (July 30), as heatwave advisories persist across Gyeonggi Province for the 8th consecutive day, Gwangmyeong Cave, a representative tourist attraction in Gwangmyeong, bustled with citizens exhausted by the scorching heat.

Unlike the outside weather where daytime temperatures soared to around 35°C (95°F), the inside of the cave maintains a steady 12°C (54°F) year-round, allowing citizens to enjoy a rare cool breeze and escape the summer heat.

Mr. Shin (in his late 30s), who visited from Incheon with his mother, wife, and daughter, smiled and said, "The weather was so hot that staying home felt suffocating, so we looked for a cool place and came here. The inside of the cave is so cool and there are many things to see, so I want to come back with my family next year."

Kang, a high school student from Jeonju who visited the cave during his summer break, shared, "I came upon my mother's recommendation, and it was great because the wind corridor inside the cave was cool, and the Aqua World was also impressive. It felt unique as going deeper underground allowed me to experience the depth and atmosphere of the cave differently."

An official from Gwangmyeong City said, "With summer break and the vacation season underway, an average of about 2,900 people on weekdays and 8,100 people on weekends are visiting the cave to beat the heat."

To enhance visitor convenience, the city has extended the operating hours of Gwangmyeong Cave by one hour, from the usual 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM, starting from the 25th of this month until August 17.

In addition, unique experiential programs are being introduced, such as the "Dark Stage," an audio-listening program to appreciate music and the cave's reverberations in darkness, and "Dark Immersive Meditation," where visitors stay in one space to experience the cave with all five senses.

Since the 27th of this month, an event has also been underway offering a refund of up to 40% of the payment amount in local currency (Gwangmyeong Sarang Currency) when adult admission tickets are purchased at regular price.

The refunded local currency can be used at local restaurants and shops.

Gwangmyeong Cave, created after Gwangmyeong City purchased the Gahak Mine—which carries the pain of Japanese colonial exploitation dating back to 1912—in 2011, has established itself as a leading historical and cultural tourist destination in the Seoul metropolitan area since its official opening in 2015.

As of the 29th of this month, cumulative visitors stood at approximately 9.237 million.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.