Taebaek Coal Museum is located in Sodo-dong, Taebaek City, Gangwon-do and is known to be the largest museum specializing in coal in the world. Coal is the only natural energy resource of Korea and has been making marked by contributing towards the national economic growth by playing central role in supply of daily life fuel and infrastructural industry of Korea. However, with the rapid drop in the demand for coal due to the advancement of material civilization and increase in the use of clean energy, the coal mines in the Taebaek region were closed through the implementation of coal rationalization policy in 1989. Taebaek Coal Museum was opened in May 27, 1997 by collecting the history of growth and changes in the coal industry and historical facts of coal mines in the Taebaek region now closed in order to use them as valuable historical materials. Moreover, the Museum aims to have the achievements of the laborers in the mines who dedicated their lives in the production of coals as the pillars of the industry in the midst of the extremely poor work environment be known widely to those of the future generations and to recall the memories of coal by utilizing the Museum as the venue of study to experience the overall aspects of the coal industry.

Coal left behind enormous achievement in the advancement of industry and civilization as the foremost energy source of mankind and maintained close relationship with the lives of people for a prolonged period of time. However, it is now fading into the depth of our memories by the emergence of clean energy such as petroleum and natural gas, etc. Therefore, Taebaek Coal Museum is operating exhibition hall under the theme of ‘Coal, nature and mankind’ in order to enhance the understanding of the coal by remembering the relationship between coal and mankind, and by examining various aspects of human lives in association with coal.

Taebaek Coal Museum is composed to enable the visitors to indirectly experience various aspects of coal mining industry by suing simulation system and special effects, etc. The entire processes of creating, mining and use of coal are realistically exhibited, making it an excellent museum of natural history as well. In addition, it is composed to enable anyone to easily understand coal by fortifying the educational functions of the Museum. There are a total of 8,721 exhibits including rocks, minerals, fossils and mechanical equipment as well as relevant literatures and daily supplies, etc. on display in the Museum.