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Gwangmyeong_Look back at the 100-year-old history of Gwangmyeong (1)

As a province adjacent to Seoul, the country's capital city, Gyeonggi-do has inherited a vast amount of Korea's modern cultural heritage as the country has undergone a turbulent modern history, ranging from the latter part of the Joseon Dynasty to the Japanese Occupation Period followed by the national liberation and division, the Korean War, and the impressive industrialization and democratization processes. “Modern Cultural Heritage of Gyeonggi” will feature an introduction to the modern culture of Gyeonggi-do together with a discussion about the history, identity and values of the Province in terms of cultural heritage.


Writer | Yeon-gyeong Lee


Gwangmyeong-si, adjacent to Seoul, Bucheon, Siheung, and Anyang, is a young city that was raised to si (city) status in 1981. When they think of Gwangmyeong, many people recall the neighborhoods of Gwangmyeong Sageori and Cheolsan-dong that were developed after the late 1960s. However, the time and space of Gwangmyeong-si are much deeper. Let's look back at the 100-year-old history of Gwangmyeong, and take a look into its historically significant places.



The beginning of Gwangmyeong: Seolwol-ri


Seolwol-ri, Soha 2-dong, Gwangmyeong began in this place whose original address was Seolwol-ri, Seo-myeon, Siheung-gun. This small village located at the foot of Gureumsan Mountain became the center of Seo-myeon, Siheung-gun after major public facilities had been installed in 1914 during the Japanese Colonial Era, including a police substation, Seo-myeon Office, and Seo-myeon Public Regular School. With the Gwangmyeong Sageori Residential Complex development in 1968, the center of Gwangmyeong was gradually moved to the north, adjacent to Seoul. In 1971, Seolwol-ri was designated as a greenbelt. Thus, the scenery of Seolwol-ri stayed as it was in the 1960s.


If you see the map made in 1914, you will be able to find a place named Soha-ri under the east leg of Gureumsan Mountain. This area is the current Seolwol-ri, Soha-dong. Anyangcheon Stream runs in the east of Soha-ri, and the east-west road and south-north road intersect with each other in this area. Although the traces of the river cannot be found now, two roads still remain. The south-north road is the present Ori-ro connecting Gwangmyeong Station to Gwangmyeong City Hall, and the east-west road links Seolwol-ri to Soha-dong Catholic Church. Seolwol-ri has various types of houses including traditional hanok built in the 1900s, modern hanok constructed during the Japanese Colonial Era, and Wester-style houses built in the 1960s and 1970s. As the area was a greenbelt, most houses are single-story or two-story buildings. The houses are standing on both sides of Seolwol-ro. Old grocery stores, laundries, flowerpots next to the walls, and vegetable gardens near the houses show a village frozen in time.



〈 A vegetable garden and an old house in Seolwol-ri 〉



〈 A traditional hanok in Seolwol-ri 


A planned residential area (313, Seolwol-ri) where similar sized houses are standing side by side is situated in the northeast of Seolwol-ri, which has formed in harmony with nature. This complex is called the KIA Houses, and was constructed as dormitories for employees of the KIA Motors Soha-ri Plant in 1970. Most of the KIA Houses are a single-story building with a building area of 66m2 and a land area of 150m2. Around 100 houses are standing in order over nine blocks, with Ori-ro 345beon-gil as the center. These single-story Western-style houses with flat roofs were mostly built between 1978 and 1979. With water tanks first installed in Seolwol-ri when the KIA Houses were constructed, Seolwol-ri and the KIA Houses have a symbiotic relationship.


Time engraved deep in the ground: The Siheung Mine and Gwangmyeong Cave


Gahaksan Mountain is situated in the southwest of Gureumsan Mountain, and Gwangmyeong Cave is located in Gahaksan Mountain. Gwangmyeong Cave, which was one of the most popular tourist attractions in Gwangmyeong, was originally the Siheung Gold Mine that was developed in the early 20th century. Although Siheung (called Geumju at the time) was famous as a silver producer in the early Joseon Dynasty, it was developed in earnest in the early 20th century. After the Siheung Mine was taken over by Iida Nobutaro in 1918, it was called Iida Siheung Mine and mainly produced gold, silver, and copper. In 1920, the mining value of Siheung Mine was 15,837 KRW and the annual capacity of personnel was 15,926 people.



〈 Gwangmyeong Cave 

Most of the shafts of Siheung Mine are not open to the public, except Levels 1 and 2


The Siheung Mine stopped operation in 1972. In spite of the uproar with the mass dismissal of the Union Labor's executives in 1961 and other labor issues such as a labor movement and mine closings in 1962, the mine operated for another 10 years, and in 1972 was finally shut down due to the flood. Part of the mine was used for salted shrimp storage of Sorae Port. In 2011, maintenance and restoration work was completed and the Siheung Mine was remodeled into Gwangmyeong Cave. You may think that Gwangmyeong Cave is a natural calve like a limestone cave because of its name, but it was a place of labor where miners once worked hard. The current Gwangmyeong Cave is part of the shafts which were used at the time (of the 7 levels, only Levels 1 and 2 are open to the public). The original shafts were much deeper (approximately 275m under the ground).



Underground Lake in Vertical Level 2 of Gwangmyeong Cave 


A sorting site for mineral categorization is located on the right side of the entrance of the cave. Its restoration work is currently under way. Gwangmyeong Cave is now a tourist attraction, providing a variety of exhibitions and programs. However, you can still find traces of the old mine in the cave. The traces of shafts dug all over the mine and various types of machinery, small holes once used for people and goods to go up to the ground, natural bedrock water ponds, etc. These things remind me of the miners who had to go into much darker, narrower mine passageways than these with only a small flashlight and struggle against the darkness and fear under the ground for long periods of time. Their working conditions must have been very poor even after the Japanese Colonial Era. What kind of hope would they have in that time? I cannot even imagine how scared they would be. Although some exhibits relating to the mine are displayed, I hope that more people would remember the miners who used to work in Gwangmyeong Cave, and not let its history fade.



The sorting site for mineral categorization 



- Series continued -



세부정보

  • Modern Cultural Heritage in Gyeonggi-do

    Writer/ Yeon-gyeong Lee (Research Professor of Yonsei University)

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