• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.15 no.3 s.45
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• pp.154-166
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• 2006

Though there are more than 600 active and non-active dimension stone quarries in Korea, most quarries are small-scaled and non-active. Main dimension stone belt in Korea is distributed in the Wonju-jecheon-Mungyeong-Geochang-Jinan-Nanwon-Geogumdo area with NNE direction, which occupies about 50% of domestic dimension stone quarries. The other dimension stone belts occur in the Gangyeong-Iksan-Gimje area, the Pocheon-Ujeongbu area and the Boryeong area. The dimension stones in Korea have been produced from at least fifteen rock types: granite, diorite, syenite, gabbro, homblendite, basalt andesite, rhyolite, tuff felsite, sandstone, marble, gneiss, schist and slate. However, seven or eight rock types such as granite, diorite and marble are currently produced. The dimension stones are quarried out 87% from plutonic rocks (mainly granite and diorite), 6% from sedimentary rocks (mainly sandstone), and 3% from metamorphic rocks (mainly marble). Main rock types of the dimension stones are variable with respect to their production locality. In the Jeollanam-do area, most dimension stones are produced from diorite. Marble is mainly produced from the Gangwon-do and Chungcheongbuk-do areas. Black sandstone is exclusively quarried out from the Chungcheongnam-do area. Granite is most abundant dimension stone in Korea. Above 50% of the domestic dimension stones are medium-grained to coarse-grained granitic rocks, but fine-grained granite dimension stones have 10% of distribution. The color of the dimension stone varies with rock types. Most granite dimension stones have dominant colors of whitish gray and gray, which are produced from the Wonju, Gapyeong, Iksan, Namwon and Geochang areas. Pink-colored granites are rarely produced from the Mungyeong area.