[Initial Moment] Reflections on the Fading Coal Era

I recently visited Samcheok to spend my summer vacation. Driving for about 40 minutes along the Gangwon Southern Road from Samcheok city to Taebaek, you arrive at Dogye-eup, where Osipcheon, famous as the salmon's spawning stream, begins. Exploring the small rural village dotted with old houses along the riverbank, you can witness the last days of the coal era.

The Samcheok Dogye Mining Site, which has been operating for nearly 90 years since 1937, will close in June 2025. In June of this year, the Taebaek Jangup Mining Site, the largest coal producer in the country, was shut down. With the closure of the Dogye Mining Site, coal production by the Korea Coal Corporation is expected to end. The only remaining coal mine operated privately in Korea will be the Samcheok Kyungdong Coal Mine.

During the heyday of the coal industry, Dogye-eup had a population of over 60,000, but now it has become a quiet village with just around 9,000 residents. Walking through the town, you notice the coal hall with its door firmly locked, unused for a long time. The rise and fall of Korea’s coal industry and the resulting regional decline are vividly felt here.

Coal is the only energy resource that can be produced domestically. Because of this, it could serve as a major energy supplier. The history of Korea’s coal industry spans over 100 years. It is considered to have begun in 1896 when Russians acquired coal mining rights in the Hamgyeongdo regions of Gyeongseong and Gyeongwon during the turbulent late Joseon period.

Even through liberation and the Korean War, coal remained the backbone of the national economy and energy supply. Its importance was further highlighted during the 1970s oil crisis. This was the era of "Jutan Jongyu (主炭從油)," meaning coal was the primary fuel with oil as a secondary source, as coal was self-sufficient compared to expensive imported oil.

Coal mining was hard and dangerous work, but it paid well. In mining areas, there was even a saying that dogs passing by carried 10,000 won bills in their mouths. The total coal produced domestically so far amounts to 193 million tons (including production by the Korea National Oil Corporation), which could fill 965 bulk carriers of the largest 200,000-ton class?a staggering amount.

However, times have changed. Coal is no longer an essential energy source. As the threat of climate change grows daily, the world is accelerating its transition to decarbonization. Korea is no exception. The ongoing heatwaves warn us of the climate realities we will face. Now, we must hasten the transition beyond coal and other fossil fuels to sustainable new energy sources.

Changes in energy policy alone are not enough. Attention and support are needed for residents who have lost their livelihoods due to the decline of the coal industry and for regions facing extinction. Samcheok City plans to prepare for the closure of the Dogye Mining Site by establishing a heavy ion accelerator cancer treatment center, currently only available in Seoul, and by attracting additional golf courses. It is hoped that the mining area will establish a new economic foundation and move toward the future.

Our time to act in the fading era of coal is limited. Alongside the development of new energy sources, urgent policy support considering regional economies and the environment is essential. The space left by coal must be filled with efforts for a better future. We must quickly embrace the new era that comes with the change toward decarbonization.