To provide a coal selective crushing process by which properties with respect to separation of minerals as simple substances from coal (simple substance separation), can be improved without finely pulverizing the coal.

This crushing process comprises: slightly dissolving the surface of each of mineral grains existing in coal with acid or alkali and acid, to cause voids on the coal-mineral boundaries; and applying force slightly exceeding the breaking point of the resulting coal, to cause interfacial breakage and to induce the simple substance separation.