In 2020, Korea had a total of 310 mines in operation (20 metal mines, 286 non-metal mines, and 4 coal mines). Most of the mines currently in operation are limestone and Kaolin mines. In addition, there are also silicate and feldspar mines. Therefore, in terms of the production value of mining industries by region, the proportion of non-metal mining is overwhelmingly high. And the number of mining enterprises and workers was concentrated in Gangwon-do, Gyeonggi-do, Gyeongsangbuk-do, and Chungcheongbuk-do, where the mines in operation are located.

The proportion of the mining industry in the national economy fell sharply due to the transformation from a coal-centered energy consumption structure to an oil-centered energy consumption structure. In nominal value, the gross value added in mining was about 41.5 billion won in 1970, reaching about 2 trillion won in 2019. However, the proportion of gross value added in mining dramatically declined from about 1.6% in 1970 to about 0.1% in 2019. The downturn in the mining industry is accompanied by the decline of mining workers. In addition, in terms of the changes in the number of mining enterprises by sales volume, the number of mining enterprises decreased, but the proportion of large-scale mines increased.