Miracle Survival Miner Park Jeong-ha After 221 Hours: "Please Create a Safe Environment for All Workers"

Gyeongbuk Province, 1st Anniversary of Survival Invitation

"I Want to Move to Gyeongbuk"

Gyeongbuk Province invited miner Park Jeong-ha (63), who was trapped in the Bonghwa mine a year ago and miraculously survived after 221 hours, to the provincial office on the 4th.

This meeting was held at the invitation of Governor Lee Cheol-woo of Gyeongbuk Province to commemorate the first anniversary of survival from the Bonghwa mine accident. After more than a year, they recalled the miraculous situation and exchanged words of gratitude and comfort.

Miner Park Jeong-ha (right) is shaking hands with Lee Cheol-woo, Governor of Gyeongbuk Province, after visiting Gyeongbuk Province to mark the first anniversary of his survival.

Mr. Park said, “A year ago, thanks to Governor Lee Cheol-woo’s warm consideration, I was able to feel the joy of survival. I sincerely thank you for remembering and celebrating my first birthday again like this,” and smiled, adding, “I want to move to Gyeongbuk.”

He also shared his thoughts, saying, “Being miraculously rescued at that time made me realize the value of preciousness. As I live on, I think I should look back on my family and those around me and do better.”

Governor Lee Cheol-woo of Gyeongbuk said, “Thanks to your miraculous return at that time, you have given hope to the people. I am very happy to see you again in such a bright and healthy state,” adding, “I heard that you are still suffering from trauma due to aftereffects of the accident, and I wish you a speedy recovery. If there is anything we can help with, we will do whatever it takes.”

On this day, some of the fellow miners who were among the seven initially trapped in the mine tunnel at the time of the accident, along with Mr. Park’s family, also attended.

Park Jeong-ha is recalling the time of the accident one year ago.

The Bonghwa mine accident occurred on October 26 last year at the Geumho Mine in Socheon-myeon, Bonghwa-gun, Gyeongbuk Province, when a vertical mine shaft collapsed, trapping two miners 190 meters underground. However, through desperate efforts for survival, comradeship among fellow miners, and active rescue efforts by related agencies, they were dramatically rescued after 10 days.

Mr. Park, who spent a long time together until dinner that day, also delivered a message of hope and words of encouragement.

“At that time, I endured 221 hours thinking of my family in pitch-black darkness. Like me, who heard the distant blasting noise as the ‘sound of hope,’ I hope everyone does not give up no matter how hard it gets,” he urged. “There are still many people working in harsh environments around us. I hope the public officials of Gyeongbuk Province will take the lead so that everyone can work in a safe environment.”

Governor Lee Cheol-woo said, “As a public official, a warm word of ‘thank you’ when you do something is the greatest reward and strength. I hope you continue to give great hope to the people and maintain the precious bond with Gyeongbuk,” adding, “The nation and local governments’ top priority is to protect the lives and safety of the people. Rather than hoping for another miracle, the most important thing is to ensure that such incidents do not happen again, so we will establish a thorough disaster prevention system.”

Mr. Park settled in Sabuk, Gangwon Province in 1980 and worked in coal mines for 20 years. After retirement, he ran a business with his family, then moved down to Bonghwa, Gyeongbuk in 2017, where he took up hoeing again before the accident occurred. He currently lives in Jeongseon, Gangwon Province.

Following the Bonghwa mine accident, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced a “Comprehensive Mine Safety Plan” on February 2 to prevent similar accidents and create a safe mining workplace.

The plan also reflected the rescue equipment procurement actively proposed by Gyeongbuk Province during the rescue process. It included the installation of survival boxes and wireless communication facilities, which were requested by the surviving miner, Mr. Park.

In addition, safety measures and government support plans were prepared, including reflecting the characteristics of each mine in their own safety regulations to promote safety management (risk assessment, work environment measurement, etc.), providing incentives to mines, updating and supporting 3D digitization for quick and accurate grasp of mine tunnel information, and enhancing the quality of mine safety education.

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