Jindong Cave, Revived from an Abandoned Tunnel in Inje, to Officially Open on the 24th

[Financial News, Inje = Reporter Kim Ki-seop] An abandoned 420-meter tunnel that was excavated for construction and forgotten for more than 20 years is set to open as Inje's new tourist attraction, outfitted with media art and sculptures.
According to Inje County on the 21st, the county will officially open Jindong Cave on the 24th. The tunnel was originally built for construction work during the development of the Yangyang Pumped-Storage Power Plant and has been transformed into a tourist attraction. Spanning approximately 420 meters, Jindong Cave combines media art, sculptures, and storytelling content to reimagine the distinctive spatial qualities of an abandoned tunnel as a unique attraction.
The project was launched after being selected in 2021 for Gangwon State's pilot program for balanced regional development. Following procedures including a detailed safety inspection, full-scale facility construction began in August 2023. A total of 7 billion won was invested, including 1.5 billion won in provincial funds and 5.5 billion won in county funds, to remodel the tunnel and install media art and sculptures.
The exhibition centers on the dream journey of Kkotgomi, a bear living in Gombaeryeong. As visitors move through the cave, lighting, video, and spatial effects unfold in each section, with the scenes changing along the way. Rather than simply viewing exhibits, visitors can experience the space as they follow a single story.


The facility will operate from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and will be closed on September 25, the day of Chuseok. Admission is 7,000 won for general visitors and 6,000 won for county residents, youths, and other eligible visitors. Regardless of the admission category, all visitors will receive a local gift certificate worth 5,000 won. Inje County plans to use the refunds to encourage visitors to spend money at nearby restaurants and shops and on local agricultural and specialty products, rather than limiting their visit to the cave. Sales and promotion of local products such as gomchwi, wild garlic, and omija will also be linked to the attraction.
Using Jindong Cave as a hub following its opening, the county will accelerate the development of tourism products in the Jindong–Bangdong area by strengthening connections among regional attractions, including Achimgari Valley, Gombaeryeong, the Bangdong Branch School tourism development project, and Inje Speedium. The plan is to create a tourism environment that naturally connects visitors with activities, accommodations, food, and purchases of local agricultural and specialty products, thereby expanding tourism centered on day trips into longer stays.
Lee Myung-gyu, head of Inje County's Tourism Division, said, "We will develop Jindong Cave, which has revived an abandoned tunnel, into a new tourism hub for Inje and increase tourists' length of stay and local spending by linking it with nearby resources such as Achimgari Valley and Gombaeryeong. We will foster the Jindong–Bangdong area as a competitive stay-oriented tourism zone so that these effects lead to increased commercial activity and higher incomes for local residents."

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