Export push seeks to breathe new life into Korea’s hollowed-out mining towns

Deep in the rugged, forested mountains of Gangwon Province, the hollowed-out shafts of abandoned anthracite mines stand as quiet monuments to Korea’s industrial birth. During their mid-20th-century heyday, these bustling towns fueled the nation’s postwar economic miracle, powering domestic hearths and heavy manufacturing alike.

But as Korea’s energy needs shifted toward oil and gas in the 1980s, the region entered a long, steep decline. While a handful of major mines remained operational into the 2020s, the last state-run mine officially closed its shafts in mid-2025 — leaving behind steep valleys marked by demographic collapse and crumbling local economies.

Now, trade officials and local leaders are trying a new approach to revive these quiet valleys: connecting their remaining small businesses directly to overseas markets.

Rather than relying solely on local tourism or government aid, a national trade showcase last week in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, brought small-town entrepreneurs face-to-face with international buyers. At the center of the event was a targeted exhibition floor designed specifically for nine companies based in Gangwon Province’s former mining zones and shrinking towns.

The initiative brings together a varied group of partners.

The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) and the Gangwon provincial government joined forces with Kangwon Land — the state-backed resort operator founded to aid the region after the mines closed — and Naver Happybean, an online fundraising platform operated by the country’s dominant search engine.

Together, the coalition matched local producers with foreign distributors interested in their goods. To boost the odds of closing deals during face-to-face meetings, KOTRA began promoting the companies online three weeks earlier on its global business platform, introducing their products to buyers well before the physical trade show opened Wednesday.

The showcase is part of a broader push launched in September. By the end of the year, KOTRA and Kangwon Land plan to help roughly 100 small enterprises across the province expand their reach, providing logistical and financial backing to send business delegations to commercial hubs like Melbourne and Bangkok.

For decades, the collapse of coal left the region dependent on welfare programs, seasonal tourism and dwindling local populations. Organizers hope that giving local makers a foothold in foreign markets will offer a more sustainable path toward economic survival.

The anxiety over regional collapse remains deeply felt among residents.

“Without tangible alternative industries, there is no future here after the mines close,” said Kim Kwang-tae, head of a local community alliance in Samcheok. “Seeing moving trucks carry families away every few days breaks your heart. The government must act so that local residents can survive.”

In response, state agencies like KOTRA are ramping up efforts to build new revenue streams for small businesses in these shrinking valleys.

“We organized this support opportunity to boost exports for regional and first-time exporting companies located in Gangwon Province’s former mining areas and depopulated zones,” said Kang Kyung-sung, president and CEO of KOTRA.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.