The Coolest Culture Space In Korea Is In A Cave In Gwangmyeong – The Soul of Seoul
Also called Gwangmyeongdonggul, (광명동굴).
An abandoned mine (for gold, silver) transformed into the best Cave Theme Park in Korea.
In-cave attractions include underground passage, underground lake, lights tunnel, etc. In addition, there is a 194m long Wine Cave where 170 types of wine from around South Korea are sold.
<aside> 💡 A lot of the signage doesn’t have English translations, so if you don’t read Korean, have a translation app handy.
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This place is about being pretty and interesting, not history or local culture. We enjoyed it, however.
<aside> 💡 There are a lot of steps inside the cave: this is not friendly to wheelchairs or anyone with mobility issues.
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January 2024.
경기도 광명시 가학로85번길 142 (가학동)
142, Gahak-ro 85beon-gil, Gwangmyeong-si, Gyeonggi-do
Get to Gwangmyeong Station (line 1), then take bus 17 or 77 from exit 8 (stop 8-1). The busses seem to go regularly and you get off at the Gwangmyeong Cave stop (광명동굴) (look for the big red smoke stake with white clouds painted on it). Naver maps will find “Gwangmyeong Cave”. The total journey from central Seoul is approximately 1.5 hours on public transport.
<aside> 💡 As you travel South, train line 1 branches to go to three different directions. If Naver maps has you getting off line 1 at a station and then getting back on it at the same station, you are changing to a different branch - you will probably have to change platforms. In Yeongdeungpo Station, the Gwangmyeong line departs from platform 5.
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The ticket office is up the hill near the cave entrance: ignore the big red/pink building and file the path up the hill.
<aside> 💡 Bring Cash! The cave ticket office only accepts Korean credit cards, so unless you’re a local, you need to pay in cash.
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