The Dark Side of Seoul Podcast

Korean Ghost Stories 2026, The Dark Side of Seoul’s annual ghost-story episode, returns with four stories spanning five centuries. Shawn tells a tale from the 1525 Yongjae Chonghwa about a fortune-telling ghost living in a noble household’s crossbeams and explains why its real target was the Joseon aristocracy. Joe reads two modern stories from Korean horror message boards, one about a girl outside a rural window in midwinter and one about a woman peering around a funeral hall door. Shawn closes with an alleged true haunting recorded by a Buddhist monk, involving a crowded inn near the border in Gangwon-do and three figures that followed a man home. Content note: the Gangwon-do account includes references to a suicide attempt and an alleged murder-suicide. Topics discussed: Shawn’s “I Hate Spooky Season” essay and why the term bugs him Travel writers, influencers and free stuff The Yongjae Chonghwa, Seong Hyeon and a ghost that exposes a secret Joseon household gods and the Seongju in the roof beams The Handprints Inside the Window Why ghost children land across cultures An alleged 1990s haunting in Gangwon-do What shamans charge, and what that says about folk religion The Woman at the Funeral Hall Door How Korean urban legends spread online Timestamps: 00:00:06 Welcome, masks and costumes 00:02:33 Shawn’s Substack and “I Hate Spooky Season” 00:04:58 Influencers and free stuff 00:08:18 Four stories for Korean Ghost Stories 2026 00:11:40 The Yongjae Chonghwa and Seong Hyeon 00:16:56 The ghost and the missing hairpin 00:20:19 Why the story was a warning to the nobility 00:24:38 The Seongju and the crossbeams 00:26:06 The Handprints Inside the Window 00:30:09 Why children are creepy, and M.R. James 00:34:08 An alleged haunting in Gangwon-do 00:48:13 Shamans, exorcisms and what they charge 00:57:37 Korea 40 years ago and the old-timers who remember it 01:00:50 The Woman at the Funeral Hall Door 01:05:13 Where these stories come from 01:08:34 The Ghost Walk, plugs and goodbyes Mentioned in this episode: Yongjae Chonghwa, by Seong Hyeon (published 1525) Shawn’s Substack, Welcome to Savage Hollar, including “I Hate Spooky Season” and the series “Not the Korean Ghosts You May Know” Supernatural Encounters in South Korea, by Shawn Morrissey Lost Hearts and Ghost Stories of an Antiquary, by M.R. James The Haunting of Hill House, by Shirley Jackson The Old Dark House (1932) Joe’s stories are adapted from anonymous accounts on Korean horror sites. The Handprints Inside the Window and The Woman at the Funeral Hall Door are from a 2021 repost on the blog 내돈내산 (ndns.tistory.com/213), credited there to MSKA Audio. The ZenKimchi Food and Travel Podcast Dark Side of Seoul Ghost Walk: darksideofseoul.com Contact: [email protected] About the podcast: The Dark Side of Seoul explores Korea’s hidden history, true crime, folklore, ghost stories, urban legends, disasters, political scandals, and the strange corners of Korean culture that rarely make it into guidebooks. Hosted by long-time Korea residents Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey, the show blends historical research, cultural analysis, and firsthand experience to examine the people, events, beliefs, and mysteries that have shaped the Korean peninsula. Some episodes take deep dives into forgotten historical events, serial killers, political intrigue, and supernatural traditions. Others tackle current events and unusual news stories through our shorter ‘Fun Sized’ episodes, connecting today’s headlines to larger patterns in Korean society. Whether we’re discussing Joseon-era conspiracies, haunted mountains, cults, disasters, ghost encounters, or modern social issues, our goal is always the same: to explore the darker side of Korea with curiosity, skepticism, and historical context. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Can a place remember? In this episode, Shawn answers a listener question from his Seoul ghost walk and explains stone tape theory, the idea that ghosts may be imprinted memories rather than the souls of the dead. He applies it to two encounters on the grounds of Gyeonghuigung Palace: a boy in white hanbok who plays around a nearly 400-year-old zelkova tree, and a sudden, unexplained smell of burning hair and flesh that stopped an entire tour group in 2018. Topics discussed: What stone tape theory and the electrical impulse wave theory claim Why cultural explanations don’t tell us what ghosts are Psychometry in pop culture, from The Dead Zone to Millennium to Chew Why ghosts that don’t know they’re dead might be the safest kind EVP, ghost apps, and why Shawn isn’t buying them The 2018 smell on the Gyeonghuigung grounds and the search for its source Gyeonghuigung’s fire history and its 19th-century decline The woman in the Ikseon-dong alley Timestamps: 00:00 Intro and a question from a ghost walk guest 02:07 What stone tape theory is 03:05 Why culture doesn’t explain ghosts 05:00 Ghosts as imprinted memories, and psychometry 06:26 The Dead Zone, Chew, Millennium, and Key and Peele 09:17 Murder, joy, and memories in the landscape 12:06 The electrical impulse wave theory 14:32 Where the theory breaks down 15:01 EVP and ghost apps 16:20 The zelkova tree at Gyeonghuigung 17:48 New sightings since Shawn’s book 20:07 Ghosts that don’t know they’re dead, han and won 22:34 Bonus story: Gyeonghuigung, 2018 24:00 Palace renovations and the old concrete slab 27:29 The smell 30:24 Ruling out fire, smoke, and wind 32:20 Searching the palace’s fire history 35:15 Gyeonghuigung, Gwanghaegun, and the Mulberry Palace 38:27 Memory or ghost? 39:58 The woman in the Ikseon-dong alley 41:30 Wrap-up, Substack, and ZenKimchi Travel and Food podcast Mentioned in this episode: Our earlier episodes “The Problem with Korean Ghosts,” on Gyeonghuigung, and on Gwanghaegun Shawn’s Substack article “A Lingering Scent of Ghosts” on Welcome to Savage Hollar ZenKimchi Travel and Food podcast The Dead Zone, Millennium, Chew, Key and Peele Folklorist George Gomme Support the show and get extra content: patreon.com/darksideofseoul Website and merch: darksideofseoul.com Contact: [email protected] Find us on Instagram and Facebook as Dark Side of Seoul. About the Podcast The Dark Side of Seoul explores Korea’s hidden history, true crime, folklore, ghost stories, urban legends, disasters, political scandals, and the strange corners of Korean culture that rarely make it into guidebooks. Hosted by long-time Korea residents Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey, the show blends historical research, cultural analysis, and firsthand experience to examine the people, events, beliefs, and mysteries that have shaped the Korean peninsula. Some episodes take deep dives into forgotten historical events, serial killers, political intrigue, and supernatural traditions. Others tackle current events and unusual news stories through our shorter ‘Fun Sized’ episodes, connecting today’s headlines to larger patterns in Korean society. Whether we’re discussing Joseon-era conspiracies, haunted mountains, cults, disasters, ghost encounters, or modern social issues, our goal is always the same: to explore the darker side of Korea with curiosity, skepticism, and historical context. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

King Jeongjo is barely in the ground and his entire reform project is already under threat. This episode covers 1801–1803: the regency of Queen Dowager Jeongsun, two significant but fatally incomplete reform measures, and the beginning of the Andong Kim clan’s century-long stranglehold on the Joseon court. Topics covered: The political situation Queen Dowager Jeongsun inherited when the eight-year-old King Sunjo took the throne The emancipation of 66,067 public government slaves in January 1801 — and why private slavery was left entirely untouched The 1801 law allowing men born out of wedlock to sit the gwageo civil service examination — and the institutional resistance that made the law almost meaningless until 1823 The gwageo’s centuries-long history of elite gatekeeping, legacy admissions, and the growing divide between well-connected city families and rural candidates The rise of the Andong Kim clan as Joseon’s ultimate power brokers Sedo jeongchi — government-by-in-law — and how King Sunjo’s marriage to Kim Jo-sun’s daughter handed the Andong Kims the keys to the entire administrative apparatus The end of Jeongsun’s regency in December 1803, and what it actually changed (not much) The seeds of the Donghak movement and the rebellions that are coming Timestamps are not available for this episode. Resources mentioned: ZenKimchi Korea Food and Travel Podcast (Joe McPherson) Welcome to Savage Holler Substack (Shawn Morrissey) — soju article Connect with The Dark Side of Seoul: Website: darksideofseoul.com Email: [email protected] Available on all major podcast platforms About the Podcast The Dark Side of Seoul explores Korea’s hidden history, true crime, folklore, ghost stories, urban legends, disasters, political scandals, and the strange corners of Korean culture that rarely make it into guidebooks. Hosted by long-time Korea residents Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey, the show blends historical research, cultural analysis, and firsthand experience to examine the people, events, beliefs, and mysteries that have shaped the Korean peninsula. Some episodes take deep dives into forgotten historical events, serial killers, political intrigue, and supernatural traditions. Others tackle current events and unusual news stories through our shorter “Fun Sized” episodes, connecting today’s headlines to larger patterns in Korean society. Whether we’re discussing Joseon-era conspiracies, haunted mountains, cults, disasters, ghost encounters, or modern social issues, our goal is always the same: to explore the darker side of Korea with curiosity, skepticism, and historical context. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Joe and Shawn are joined by Justin Kyle, co-host of the weekly horror film podcast Straight Chilling, for a decade-by-decade guide to Korean horror cinema. Starting from a lost 1924 silent film made under Japanese occupation and running through Na Hong-jin's divisive 2024 creature feature, Justin leads a structured tour of the films, directors, themes, and historical forces that shaped one of world cinema's most distinctive horror traditions. Guest Justin Kyle, Straight Chilling Podcast straightchilling.com Also writes for koreanfilm.org and Korea Times Topics discussed The 1924 silent horror film adaptation of the Tale of Two Sisters, made during Japanese occupation around the same time as Nosferatu and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, now a lost film The Korean Film Archive's YouTube channel and Blu-ray releases for older films, and the ongoing problem of lost or damaged Korean films even from relatively recent decades Why Korean horror rarely produces slashers, monster films, or vampire stories, and what it produces instead The femme fatale and the vengeful female ghost as recurring figures in Korean horror, and the argument that these women have genuine narrative agency rather than existing simply as threats to be defeated The 1960s as the first golden age of Korean horror, and the unusually high cinematographic quality of films from that era How Park Chung-hee's nationalist cultural policies in the 70s inadvertently created a boom in shaman-themed cinema The censorship era of the 70s and 80s, what it did to Korean filmmaking, and why the 80s produced so few horror films The shamanism film tradition in Korean cinema and why claims that it is a new trend are wrong Whispering Corridors (1998) as the beginning of the second golden age of Korean horror Why the end of censorship in the mid-to-late 90s unlocked a new era of ambitious Korean filmmaking The Quiet Family, A Tale of Two Sisters, The Host, and Thirst as the peak of 2000s Korean horror The debate over whether Park Chan-wook or Bong Joon-ho is the better filmmaker Train to Busan and the argument about whether it is a great zombie film, a mediocre horror film, or an accessible action film that Koreans don't even classify as horror The Wailing as the conclusion of the second golden age Seire (2021) as the best Korean horror film of the current decade, and the Korean folk traditions around birth and death it draws on Exhuma and what happens when horror films prioritize accessibility over atmosphere Na Hong-jin's Hope and why it's deeply divisive The Netflix and K-pop effect on Korean cinema and the argument that chasing international accessibility has drained the daring out of mainstream Korean horror A Halloween party on October 24, 2026 at Dyson Comics Cafe in Seoul with horror board games, movie trivia, and a Halloween magic show Korean horror film timeline by decade Korean Horror Film Timeline by Decade Silent Era 1924 — Untitled Tale of Two Sisters adaptation — director unknown — lost film 1960s 1960 — The Housemaid (하녀) — Kim Ki-young 1960 — Madam White Snake (백사부인) — Shin Sang-ok 1964 — The Evil Stairs / The Devil's Stairway (마의 계단) — Lee Man-hee 1965 — A Bloodthirsty Killer / Devilish Homicide (살인마) — Yi Yong-min 1967 — Public Cemetery Under the Moon (월하의 공동묘지) — Kwon Cheol-hwi 1967 — Yongary, Monster from the Deep (대괴수 용가리) — Kim Kee-duk 1969 — The Devil and the Beauty (악마와 미녀) — Yi Yong-min 1970s 1970 — Ghosts of Joseon (이조괴담) — Shin Sang-ok 1975 — The Man with Two Faces (공포의 이중인간) — Yi Yong-min 1977 — Io Island / Ieodo (이어도) — Kim Ki-young 1978 — A Woman Chasing a Killer Butterfly (살인나비를 쫓는 여자) — Kim Ki-young 1979 — The Divine Bough (신궁) — Im Kwon-taek 1980s 1981 — Suddenly in the Dark / Suddenly at Midnight (깊은 밤 갑자기) — Go Yeong-nam 1981 — The Hut (피막) — Lee Doo-yong 1981 — A Monstrous Corpse (괴시) — Kang Beom-gu 1982 — Dracula in a Coffin — director unconfirmed 1990s 1995 — 301, 302 (삼공일 삼공이) — Park Chul-su 1997 — The Hole — director unconfirmed 1998 — Whispering Corridors (여고괴담) — Park Ki-hyung 1998 — The Quiet Family (조용한 가족) — Kim Jee-woon 1999 — Memento Mori (여고괴담 두번째 이야기) — Kim Tae-yong and Min Kyu-dong 1999 — The Ring Virus (링) — Kim Dong-bin 1999 — Tell Me Something (텔 미 썸딩) — Chang Yoon-hyun 1990s — Deep Scratch — director unconfirmed 2000s 2001 — Sorum (소름) — Yoon Jong-chan 2003 — A Tale of Two Sisters (장화, 홍련) — Kim Jee-woon 2004 — R-Point (알 포인트) — Kong Su-chang 2006 — The Host (괴물) — Bong Joon-ho 2009 — Thirst (박쥐) — Park Chan-wook 2010s 2010 — I Saw the Devil (악마를 보았다) — Kim Jee-woon 2010 — Bedevilled (김복남 살인사건의 전말) — Jang Cheol-su 2012 — Horror Stories (무서운 이야기) — Min Kyu-dong, Jung Bum-shik, Hong Ji-young, Kim Gok and Kim Sun, Lim Dae-woong 2015 — The Silenced (경성학교: 사라진 소녀들) — Lee Hae-young 2016 — Train to Busan (부산행) — Yeon Sang-ho 2016 — The Wailing (곡성) — Na Hong-jin 2020s 2021 — Seire (세이레) — Park Kang 2022 — The Fifth Thoracic Vertebra — Park Se-young 2024 — Exhuma / Pamyo (파묘) — Jang Jae-hyun 2024 — Hopeu (호프) — Na Hong-jin Resources mentioned Straight Chilling Podcast: straightchilling.com Korean film database: koreanfilm.org Korean Film Archive YouTube: Korean Classic Film Korea Times film coverage: search Justin Kyle Timestamps not available for this episode. About the podcast The Dark Side of Seoul explores Korea's hidden history, true crime, folklore, ghost stories, urban legends, disasters, political scandals, and the strange corners of Korean culture that rarely make it into guidebooks. Hosted by long-time Korea residents Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey, the show blends historical research, cultural analysis, and firsthand experience to examine the people, events, beliefs, and mysteries that have shaped the Korean peninsula. Some episodes take deep dives into forgotten historical events, serial killers, political intrigue, and supernatural traditions. Others tackle current events and unusual news stories through our shorter "Fun Sized" episodes, connecting today's headlines to larger patterns in Korean society. Whether we're discussing Joseon-era conspiracies, haunted mountains, cults, disasters, ghost encounters, or modern social issues, our goal is always the same: to explore the darker side of Korea with curiosity, skepticism, and historical context. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Why do ghosts conveniently conform to the culture of the people seeing them? Korean folklore gives us the cheonyeo gwishin, Western traditions have their own recognizable specters, and decades of movies have taught us that ghosts should be translucent, vaporous, and obviously dead. Joe and Shawn question whether any of those images are useful when examining claims of actual ghost encounters. If ghosts represent a genuine phenomenon, Shawn argues, their basic characteristics should remain consistent across cultures. The conversation moves from Korean folklore and Shakespeare to filmmaking, Newfoundland ghost traditions, the concept of han, trauma as an explanation for hauntings, and the surprisingly mundane descriptions that appear in some of the more convincing alleged encounters. More in Shawn’s newsletter article The Most Haunted Place on Earth! Topics Discussed The problem with culturally specific ghosts Folklore versus alleged paranormal phenomena Korea's cheonyeo gwishin Women in white and long-haired ghosts Similar ghost imagery outside Asia Why folklore shouldn't be treated as scientific explanation Shakespeare and ghosts on stage How theater and cinema shaped the translucent ghost Alleged ghosts that look completely human The possibility of encountering a ghost without realizing it Newfoundland ghost traditions The Irish and Newfoundland "fetch" What makes somewhere "the most haunted place on Earth" Trauma as an explanation for hauntings Han and Korean ghost folklore Why claims that han is uniquely Korean create a logical problem Skepticism and paranormal research Timestamps 00:00 Introduction06:00 Defining the problem with ghosts10:00 Folklore as explanation11:36 What if ghosts are real?13:00 Korean ghost imagery15:00 Fictional ghosts versus alleged encounters17:30 Ghost imagery across cultures20:00 The mundane ghost22:00 Theater, film, and translucent spirits25:00 Ghosts we may not recognize27:00 Newfoundland's "fetch" tradition29:00 The most haunted place on Earth31:00 Trauma and restless spirits33:00 Han and Korean ghosts34:50 Final discussion36:30 Listener shout-out Mentioned During the Episode Cheonyeo gwishin Hamlet Watership Down Newfoundland ghost folklore St. John's Haunted Hike The Irish/Newfoundland "fetch" Han (한) The Korean Ghost and Mr. Skeptic Shawn Morrissey's newsletter, Welcome to Savage Haller The Most Haunted Place on Earth (Depending on Who You Ask) About The Dark Side of Seoul The Dark Side of Seoul explores Korea's hidden history, true crime, folklore, ghost stories, urban legends, disasters, political scandals, and the strange corners of Korean culture that rarely make it into guidebooks. Hosted by long-time Korea residents Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey, the show blends historical research, cultural analysis, and firsthand experience to examine the people, events, beliefs, and mysteries that have shaped the Korean peninsula. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.