[Report] Transformation of an Abandoned Mine... Visiting Donghae's 'Mureung Byeolyucheonji'

Preserving the History of the Quarry... Reborn as a Complex Experience Tourism Complex
Over 1,000 Visitors in the First Weekend of Opening
Donghae City Invests 130 Billion Won to Develop a Specialized Complex

Mureungbyeol Yucheonji, Donghae-si, Gangwon Province. Comparison photos before (left) and after the restoration of the closed mine.
[Photo by Donghae-si]

[Donghae (Gangwon) = Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jong-hwa] The emerald-colored lake sparkles under the sunlight, and on the towering cliff, a lookout shaped like two dragons ready to soar into the sky stands tall.

On the 3rd, at 'Mureung Byeollyu Cheonji,' being developed over 1.21 million square meters (300,000 pyeong) around San 110-3, Samhwa-dong, Donghae-si, Gangwon-do, tourists were taking photos here and there despite it being a weekday. Shuttle buses continuously transported people to the luge experience center and the observatory.

This place was a limestone mine, the raw material for cement, operated by Ssangyong C&E for 50 years from 1968 to 2017. Afterwards, Ssangyong C&E donated the closed mine to Donghae City, transforming it into a complex experiential tourism complex.

Mureung Byeollyu Cheonji begins with an old building where visitors can see the quarry's past at a glance. This reminds visitors that this place is a transformed closed mine. Passing through a hall displaying various quarrying equipment and entering the park, a wide lake, garden, and gray cliffs unfold at once. From the observatory built atop the 270-meter-high cliff, visitors can also see the quarry still in operation far away, making it the only place where the past, present, and future of the limestone mine can be appreciated simultaneously.

Mureung Byeollyu Cheonji means "the place with the best scenery under the sky, a utopia separated from the secular world." The first phase of construction was completed and opened to citizens on the 16th of last month. Over 1,000 tourists visited just last weekend, raising its name as a popular experiential tourism destination.

'Monster Dump Truck' exhibited at Mureung Byeolyu Cheonji. When the Ssangyong C&E Donghae plant started operation in 1968, this transport equipment was used to carry limestone from nearby limestone mines. It is a massive truck with a capacity of 85 tons, a height of 5 meters, and a length of 10 meters, capable of completely demolishing a house and loading it all at once.
[Photo by Kim Jonghwa].

Donghae City plans to invest 130 billion KRW through public and private projects by 2027 to complete experiential facilities such as sky gliders, off-road luges, alpine coasters, and accommodation facilities like resorts, contributing to revitalizing the local economy and creating jobs.

Closed mines are a "sore spot" in our industrial history. Although they contributed to national industrial development, they cannot be free from environmental damage controversies. The efforts of Donghae City and Ssangyong C&E to transform the closed mine into "the place with the best scenery under the sky" can be seen as both a reflection and consolation for the reckless industrial development history of the past.

Ssangyong C&E actively cooperated with Donghae City for the rebirth of Mureung Byeollyu Cheonji after donating the closed mine to Donghae City in January 2017. Donghae City swiftly moved by preparing a tourism leisure town development plan linked with the nearby Mureung Valley and inviting private business operators.

Kim Soon-gi, head of Donghae City's Strategic Business Team, said, "Today's Mureung Byeollyu Cheonji was possible thanks to Ssangyong C&E's active cooperation," adding, "It is the first limestone closed mine in Korea to be developed into a specialized tourism complex. By 2027, Mureung Byeollyu Cheonji will allow visitors to experience the true essence of a stay-type tourism complex where they can rest and enjoy in one place."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.