{
  "id": 2396119,
  "title": "Step inside Gwangmyeong Cave: Former mine transforms into space for meditation, music",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/21/step-inside-gwangmyeong-cave-former-mine-transforms-into-space-for",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-21T15:32:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/20260822/step-inside-gwangmyeong-cave-former-mine-transforms-into-space-for-meditation-music"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A previously inaccessible section of Gwangmyeong Cave in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi Province, has been transformed into a space for meditation, music, and tourism. The cave, which stretches 7.8 kilometers, only has about 2 kilometers open to visitors regularly. The remaining sections have been closed for maintenance or due to flooding and narrowness. Efforts to utilize the restricted areas began in July 2020, when three sections were opened. This year, two more sections are being opened temporarily. One section is above ground and hosts a Dark Immersive Meditation program throughout August, while the other is underground. Visitors enter the dark cavern, illuminated by a single shaft of light through an opening, and must carefully follow the guide's flashlight to navigate the space. Despite the challenging environment, the cave attracts around 1 million people annually.",
  "summary": "Ten beanbag chairs, each large enough for one person to lie down, fill the dark cavern. A single shaft of light filters through an opening on one side, but it is nowhere near enough to illuminate the deep darkness. Even taking a single step requires carefully following the guide's cellphone flashlight. It is hard to believe that this is part of a tourist attraction visited by around 1 million…",
  "key_points": [
    "Gwangmyeong Cave section transformed into meditation and music space",
    "Two more cave sections opened temporarily this year",
    "Dark Immersive Meditation program runs through August"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Step inside Gwangmyeong Cave: Former mine transforms into space for meditation, music",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/21/step-inside-gwangmyeong-cave-former-mine-transforms-into-space-for-2397921",
        "published": "2026-08-21T15:47:02.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}