Last weekend I headed out toward Jeongseon. Jeongseon is in the northeast part of south Korea and is a bit difficult to get to. But, being difficult to get to can be a good thing (i.e., no tourists; no nothing).
Jeongseon used to be known for its coal mining, but those mines ran dry (is that the right verb?) and now they’ve built a fancy new casino (which you can see nestled up in the mountains above the deserted mine).
But, one of the main reasons I trekked out to Jeongseon was to see Dongwon Coal Mine.
Dongwon was the last coal mine in Gangwon province, and one of the last in Korea. It operated from 1962-2004, but it pretty much looked like nothing had changed since 1962.
But there’s more to it than it just being a mine… it was also the site of a major Korean labor fight. From April 21-24, 1980; Dongwon mine went on strike after refusing a 20% raise increase (the union wanted a 42.75% raise). 160 policemen and workers were injured, 81 workers were arrested, and one policeman died. Then, the miners and their families (5,000 strong) basically took over the town by overrunning the police.
While this moment in Korea’s democratization movement is often overlooked by the protests in Busan-Masan and the Gwangju Massacre that occurred one month later; it still remains a very important moment in Korea’s long and windy path toward democracy.
In an odd side note, if you visit Jeongseon, you will find a deserted city that has the nicest roads and government facilities you will ever see. This is because when the government closed the mine in 2004 they promised Jeongseon payments of $100 million. However, only $20 million have been made, but even with that, Jeongseon appears to be doing well (at least from an outsider’s subjective viewpoint).
To get there: take a bus from Dong Seoul Bus Terminal… BUT (and this is very important) if you want to get there fast, get a bus that doesn’t stop at every small town and intersection along the way. On my return journey, I took a direct bus to Seongnam Bus Terminal and it was much, much faster for this very reason.
Here are the photos (you can see them in all their glory here)
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