Kangwon Land Reopens Sabuk Mining Office, Steeped in Miners' Lives, as "M650 Museum"

Kangwon Land Holds Official Opening Ceremony for M650 Museum
The Heritage of Dongwon Coal Mine's Sabuk Mining Office Is Reborn
"2026 Coal Mining Culture Festival" Opens Alongside the Museum
Free Admission Throughout October

The former coal mine site, steeped in the fervor of South Korea's industrialization and the lives of its miners, has been reborn as a contemporary cultural space.

Kim Dogyun, CEO of Kangwon Land, delivers remarks at the opening ceremony of the M650 Museum, a cultural space dedicated to mining heritage, on the 7th. Provided by Kangwon Land.

Kangwon Land (CEO Kim Dogyun) said it held the official opening ceremony for the M650 Museum, a cultural space dedicated to mining heritage, on October 7 in the Sabuk-eup area of Jeongseon County, Gangwon Province.

The M650 Museum preserves the historical value of the former Dongwon Coal Mine's Sabuk Mining Office, which operated from 1963 to 2004, and adds contemporary cultural experiences to the site of the coal industry. The museum was developed on a site with a total area of 66,755 square meters (approximately 20,229 pyeong). It opened temporarily on October 1 and has since welcomed visitors. It officially opened on October 7, with around 600 attendees, including Kangwon Land CEO Kim Dogyun.

The opening ceremony began with a memorial cultural event honoring miners who devoted themselves to the development of the national industry, followed by commemorative remarks, the presentation of appreciation plaques, celebratory performances, and a museum tour.

Visitors can explore sites that preserve traces of miners' daily lives, including a safety-lamp charging room and a bathhouse. The museum also features a cafe converted from a hoist room, an experience that lets visitors ride in a mine cart, and special exhibitions combining industrial heritage with contemporary art.

The museum also offers a free docent program with four guided tours of the permanent exhibitions each weekend. Professional educational programs are scheduled to begin on October 17. To mark the official opening, Kangwon Land will offer free admission to all visitors throughout October.

Coinciding with the opening ceremony, the 2026 Coal Mining Culture Festival will take place over four days, from October 7 to 10, at the M650 Museum and in the Sabuk area. Held under the theme "Memories of the Mines Become a Festival," the event will bring together five cities and counties in coal industry transition regions—Jeongseon, Taebaek, Yeongwol, Samcheok, and Boryeong—and will be held alongside the 30th Coal Culture Festival.

Kangwon Land CEO Kim Dogyun is attending the opening ceremony of the M650 Museum, a cultural space dedicated to mining heritage, in Sabuk-eup, Jeongseon-gun, Gangwon-do, on the 7th. Photo provided by Kangwon Land.

The festival will feature local promotional and hands-on experience booths, as well as dance dramas and musicals about mining culture and street performances including circus acts and magic shows. There will also be a stargazing talk show, jazz performances, and concerts. On the evening of October 10, the final day, the Hi1 Signature Fireworks Show will light up the area around the M650 Museum.

"I feel both deeply moved and a profound sense of responsibility at the opening of the M650 Museum at a site that holds the history of South Korea's industrialization," CEO Kim Dogyun said. "I hope the Coal Mining Culture Festival will allow local residents and tourists alike to experience and enjoy the value of mining in new ways."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.