Mungyeong Ecoworld

The mine below the film city

The 230 metres of original mining passage at Mungyeong Ecoworld once formed part of a coal network that reached 800 metres underground. Higher on the hillside, full-sized Goguryeo palaces were built for television dramas. One workplace left the landscape when mining ended; another arrived as the cameras began rolling

Eunsung started mining in 1938, when Japanese firms began developing anthracite seams beneath Dotan, a farming hamlet near Gaeun. After liberation, the site passed into Korean hands and became part of Korea Coal Corporation in 1950. Mineworkers entered in three rotating shifts, while small rail vehicles carried extracted coal towards sorting equipment. The mine eventually had around 400 kilometres of passages, with roughly 4,300 people employed over its lifetime

A fire on 27 October 1979 killed 44 of the 126 miners then working underground; toxic smoke spread from burning conveyor equipment more than two kilometres from the entrance. Eunsung continued operating afterwards. During the late 1980s, gas displaced household coal and the government began a national mine-closure programme in 1989. Coal-briquette demand fell sharply across Korea during the early 1990s. Eunsung finally closed in July 1994, almost fifteen years after the fire. The Coal Museum opened on the former pit ground in May 1999; Ecoworld followed in September 2018

The surviving 1963 Eunsung Tunnel now contains approximately 230 metres of public exhibition passage. Rails, carts and heavy equipment stand in the shaft where miners once worked. A mining-household display shows rooms and possessions of families living beside the pit. The visitor route is a preserved piece of the mine, not an excursion into the former deep working levels

A deliberately constructed Goguryeo

The Gaeun Open Set, built in 2006, occupies roughly 44,000 square metres above the museum. Historical research into surviving Goguryeo fortifications and tomb murals guided a purpose-built screen city of three palace buildings, 42 tiled-roof structures and 37 domestic houses. The palace gates and painted streets have played different historical worlds on screen. Yeon Gaesomun (2006–07) follows Goguryeo's powerful military leader amid conflict with China's Sui and Tang dynasties; Ja Myung Go (2009) reimagines the legend of Prince Hodong and the kingdom of Nangnang; Queen Seondeok (2009) follows the rise of a woman ruler of rival Silla. The same production landscape could stand for different Korean kingdoms: its architecture serves a camera, not an archaeological claim

Nothing here should be confused with excavated Goguryeo ruins. A film set is built to look right for the camera, and the colliery tunnel was built to move coal. Their contrasting purposes explain much of this unusual destination

A 330-metre monorail installed in 2007 connects the lower entry area with the first filming location, with elevated views towards the second and third sets. The climb matters: visitors planning to see both the shaft gallery and upper sets should allow for different ground levels and the possibility that the monorail is not operating

Making media instead of mining coal

Ecoworld's Eco Studio turns visitors into a miniature film crew. A group chooses a scenario and assigns roles, then makes a short edited video. The time-slice setup uses several cameras to freeze a movement while changing the viewing angle; a rail-mounted camera tracks action, and a motion-capture suit maps a person's movements onto a virtual character. The finished recording is the activity's outcome, not merely a demonstration of equipment. Upstairs, Eco Farm explains cultivation and environmental growing methods. Outdoors, Giant Forest provides oversized objects and themed obstacles for children

The transition from pit to production studio is more revealing than a simple claim of ecological renewal. Real mining machinery and workers' rooms preserve a vanished source of local livelihood; stage architecture and video-making are newer forms of employment and tourism on the same land. A visit can show both, provided the original mine's harder history is not lost behind the attractions

Before you go

The combined complex is at 112 Wangneung-gil, Gaeun-eup. Normal individual tickets cost ₩10,000 for adults, ₩9,000 for young visitors and ₩5,000 for seniors. Selected Eco Studio activities add ₩5,000 per participant and require an appropriately sized group. The published tariff describes the monorail as free in one place and separately chargeable elsewhere; another older schedule gives fares. Its actual current price needs confirmation at the site

Operating times vary by season. In April–September, the park generally opens 10:00–19:00 on weekdays and 09:00–19:00 on weekends. In October–November the hours are 09:00–18:00; December–January 09:00–17:30; February–March 09:00–18:00. Final admission is usually one hour before closing. It is normally open throughout the year, but specific attractions are subject to operating conditions

The Gaeun Ajae Market bus stop is about fifteen minutes' walk from the entrance. Rural transport frequencies require checking and car access is straightforward; parking is available. The filming sets involve hillside terrain, and monorail access is an important consideration for anyone with limited mobility. Picnic meals are permitted in designated shelters rather than cafés