Coals produced in Korea are anthracite and very small amounts of Tertiary lignite. The anthracite coal beds are intercalated in the Permo-Carboniferous, the Jurassic, and the Cretaceous Systems, but the most productive beds are in the Permian. The 11 anthracite coal fields in southern Korea, the Gangneung, Jeongseon, Samcheog, Yeongweol, Danyang, Mungyeong, Bo-eun, Jeonbug, and Honam, are aligned in a zone from the northeast coast to the southwest end of the Korean Peninsula-the Ogcheon geosynclinal zone. The Chungnam and the Gyeonggi coal fields are outside this zone. Anthracite reserves in southern Korea are estimated at 1,400,000,000 metric tons, and 90% is from the Permo-Carboniferous, and the remainder from the Mesozoic. Annual production of anthracite coal in Korea as been 10,000,000 to 14,000,000 metric tons for the past several years. Calorific value of the Paleozoic anthracite is 5,500 to 6,000 calories and Mesozoic coal 5,000 to 5,500 calories with some exceptions of 6,000 to 6,500 calories. Prospecting for the anthracite beds is being carried out by detailed geologic and geophysical survey, core boring, and drifting.

The problem of increasing the coal production may be solved by: (1) development of low-grade anthracite beds not now being mined; (2) exploitation of the buried coal beds which are covered structurally with older rocks, and covered by younger rocks; (3) development of the coal beds which extend from land to the subsea; (4) conduct of more detailed geologic and geophysical surveys; and (5) evaluation of the Tertiary lignite not now being mined.

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