Korea closes its last state-run coal mine, marking end of an era

Miners talk before inspecting pump equipment at the Dogye Coal Mine in Samcheok, Gangwon Province, Friday. The facility, the last remaining coal mine operated by the Korea Coal Corp., shut down Monday. Yonhap

“Even the dogs carried 10,000-won bills in their mouths.”

So went a popular saying that captured the heady days of Gangwon Province’s mining towns at their peak. In the 1960s and '70s, these coal communities thrived amid a boom that transformed the region into a symbol of working-class prosperity.

The coal industry’s golden age began with a 1961 law that paved the way for large-scale mine development. By 1966, coal supplied 45.7 percent of Korea’s primary energy, making it the nation's dominant energy source.

Money flowed fast. Expensive bars set up shop in mining towns, and there are stories of customers leaving tips by switching on electric fans and tossing handfuls of cash from burlap sacks into the air.

Another saying that captures the era’s excess: “If you work at a Korea Coal Corp. mine, you’ll get a bride without even being seen first.” Even in Gangwon Province mining hubs like Samcheok and Taebaek, which had dozens of mines, those under the state-run Korea Coal Corp. held unmatched prestige.

This week marks the end of an era.

The Dogye Coal Mine in Samcheok, Gangwon Province — the last coal mine operated by the state-run corporation— closed Monday, marking the end of the nation’s publicly operated coal mining industry.

A miner makes a phone call to inspect pump equipment at the Dogye Coal Mine in Samcheok, Gangwon Province, Friday. The facility, the last remaining coal mine operated by the Korea Coal Corp., shut down Monday. Yonhap

Coal was a key energy source during Korea’s drive for economic development after the 1950-53 Korean War. The government prioritized expanding railways and energy infrastructure, ramping up coal production. Before the war, firewood had been the primary fuel source, but wartime deforestation led to a severe fuel shortage, accelerating the nation’s shift to coal.

Coal was also the key component of “yeontan,” the briquettes widely used to heat Korean homes from the 1950s through the 1980s, forming the backbone of winter life for much of the population.

For many Koreans, the sight of coal briquettes glowing in winter — and the ever-present risk of carbon monoxide poisoning — remains a vivid part of the national memory, even for those who never lived through it. The scene is a familiar motif in Korean dramas and films set in the postwar decades.

In a scene from the Netflix series “When Life Gives You Tangerines,” the protagonist’s daughter Geum-myeong, played by singer IU, loses consciousness after inhaling gas from a coal briquette boiler in her room.

Miners are at work at the Dogye Coal Mine in Samcheok, Gangwon Province, Friday. The facility, the last remaining coal mine operated by the Korea Coal Corp., shut down Monday. Yonhap

Korea’s coal production peaked in 1988 at an all-time high of more than 24.2 million tons. But the peak was short-lived and the industry soon entered a steep decline.

After experiencing sharp spikes in global oil prices during the two oil shocks, the Korean government sought to reduce its dependence on petroleum. As part of that effort, the government began supplying liquefied natural gas to the Seoul metropolitan area in 1987 and, by 1989, launched a major restructuring plan to phase out unprofitable coal mines.

The decline was swift and dramatic.

Between 1989 and 1996, 334 coal mines shut down. By 1992, coal demand had plummeted to 10.74 million tons — just a third of its peak only six years earlier.

As of next week, the only remaining coal mine operating in Korea will be the privately run Kyungdong Sangdeok Mine, also located in the Dogye area of Samcheok.

Coal continues to lose ground in Korea’s energy mix. It had been Korea's main source of electricity generation since 2007, but was overtaken last year by nuclear power amid a broader shift toward eco-friendly policies and greater reliance on nuclear energy.

Nuclear power is now the country’s leading source of electricity, making up 31.7 percent of total generation, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

Miners head into a shaft to inspect pump equipment at the Dogye Coal Mine in Samcheok, Gangwon Province, Friday. The facility, the last remaining coal mine operated by the Korea Coal Corp., shut down Monday. Yonhap

Although coal-fired power still ranks second at 28.1 percent, it has little connection to Korea’s domestic coal industry. Most coal-fired plants rely on imported bituminous coal, which has higher combustion efficiency. In contrast, most domestically produced coal is anthracite — a type not preferred for large-scale power generation.

An official at the Korea Coal Corp. told The Korea Times that all workers at the Dogye Coal Mine are retiring.

“The average age of our workers is around 55. Some are at retirement age, while others are still relatively young — in their late 30s to early 40s,” the official said.