After 'Salmokji,' Ready for a Ghost Tour? Korean Horror Films Set at Real-Life Haunted Spots

〈A Man Living with the King〉's Yeongwol was followed by Yesan for 〈Salmokji〉. The film 〈Salmokji〉, which has already surpassed twice its break-even point, takes its motif from the 'Salmokji legend,' which is set at the Salmokji reservoir in Gwangsim-myeon, Yesan, Chungnam. Since the film's release, the Salmokji reservoir has become so popular that it has been jokingly nicknamed 'Sallidan-gil.' It's even come to the point where people say "there are more people than ghosts." However, while 〈Salmokji〉 is set in Salmokji, Yesan, Chungnam, the actual filming was carried out in places such as Damyang Lake in Damyang, Jeollanam-do, and Dochon Reservoir in Boseong.

Urban legends based on real places have often been expanded into films. Let's trace the lineage of Korean horror films that use real-life haunted spots as their backdrop—something 〈Salmokji〉 has reopened.

〈Neulbom Garden〉(2024) : Nolbom Galbi in Jecheon, North Chungcheong

Are you familiar with the places called the "three major haunted houses" of South Korea? They are Gonjiam Psychiatric Hospital, the Yeongdeok raw fish restaurant in North Gyeongsang, and Nolbom Galbi in Jecheon. The abandoned Nolbom Galbi building in Jecheon rose to prominence as a bravery-testing site from the early 2000s. After the once-popular Nolbom Galbi closed in the 1990s, the building was left to decay and rumors around it spread rapidly: stories that the restaurant owner's daughter had become a vegetative patient and later died, that the wife left the house, or that the owner took his own life by turning on the gas in the kitchen. After that, witnesses who visited the site for haunted-house experiences or simply passed by reported mysterious shapes, and the Nolbom Galbi building became a haunted spot.

The film 〈Neulbom Garden〉 was produced using this location as inspiration. The film was directed by Gu Tae-jin, a former producer of 〈The Medium〉, and stars Jo Yoon-hee and Kim Joo-ryung. Of course, the movie was not filmed at the actual Nolbom Galbi in Jecheon. The story follows a wife who moves into a country mansion called 'Nolbom Garden,' inherited from her husband, and experiences strange occurrences. The film diverged significantly from the online 'Nolbom Galbi legend,' which left some legend fans disappointed.

〈Chiaksan〉(2023) : Chiaksan National Park in Wonju, Gangwon Province

There is a legend circulating about Chiaksan in Wonju, Gangwon Province. According to the tale, in the 1980s ten bodies were found on this mountain, each cut into eighteen pieces, and because of the brutality of the crime, the investigation was allegedly conducted in secret. The legend claims the cross-sections of the dismembered bodies were cut so precisely that it was impossible to tell what tool had been used. Of course, this is complete fiction. The Wonju Police Station confirmed that no such incident was found and made clear it was a fabricated story.

Because of that, the release of the film 〈Chiaksan〉 caused friction between Wonju City and the film company. 〈Chiaksan〉 depicts members of a mountain biking club who visit Chiaksan and become embroiled in strange events. The film added bold sci-fi elements to the weight carried by the real place name, turning it into a unique mystery thriller.

〈Oksu Station Ghost〉(2022) : Oksu Station on Seoul Subway Line 3

In 2009, a person committed suicide by jumping at Oksu Station, and a hospital staff member who went to retrieve the body was struck and killed by a train. In 2011, the webtoon author Horang released a horror webtoon titled 'Oksu Station Ghost' based on that incident. The webtoon became wildly popular and, thanks to it, Oksu Station on Seoul Subway Line 3 became a pilgrimage site for horror fans through Horang's 2011 webtoon.

The film adaptation of the webtoon's story, 〈Oksu Station Ghost〉, unravels a series of mysterious incidents occurring at Oksu Station. Takahashi Hiroshi, the screenwriter of the Japanese horror film 〈Ring〉, participated in the script from the early planning stages. As an aside, 〈Oksu Station Ghost〉 was filmed in Busan, not at the real Oksu Station. Because Oksu Station is aboveground, the production shot scenes at Dongnae Station and the closed Busanjin Station in Busan to capture a subterranean, eerie atmosphere. Made on a modest budget, 〈Oksu Station Ghost〉 surpassed its break-even point with a cumulative audience of 250,000.

〈Gonjiam〉(2018) : Namyang Psychiatric Hospital, Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province

This is the place that sent shivers through South Korea with the title "One of CNN's 7 Most Spine-Chilling Places in the World." The former Namyang Psychiatric Hospital was surrounded by rumors that the director was possessed by ghosts and committed suicide, that there had been medical accidents, or even that the site had originally been a prison. In reality, Namyang Psychiatric Hospital was an ordinary hospital, but the overwhelming visual of the derelict building fueled the ghost stories.

Director Jung Beom-sik's film 〈Gonjiam〉 brought that legend to the screen. The film used a found-footage format, following seven members of a horror-experience YouTube team called 'Horror Times' as they conduct a live-stream exploration of the hospital. 〈Gonjiam〉 actually used the dormitory of Haesa High School, a closed school on Yeongdo in Busan, to recreate the hospital's interior. To heighten realism, the actors used their real names for their characters and filmed most scenes themselves with cameras they held; the film drew 2.68 million viewers and heralded a revival of Korean horror cinema. Namyang Psychiatric Hospital has since been demolished and a Coupang logistics center now stands on the site.

〈Jangsanbeom〉(2017) : Jangsan in Haeundae District, Busan

On Jangsan in Haeundae District, Busan, there is an urban legend about a creature called the 'Jangsanbeom' that mimics human voices to lure and bewitch people. This mysterious being, which takes on an animal form while imitating human speech, originated not from ancient folklore but from stories spread on online communities; as details were added over time, 'Jangsanbeom' gradually became a modern-day yokai.

Director Huh Jung's 〈Jangsanbeom〉 is a film based on this urban legend. The movie stars Yum Jung-ah, Park Hyuk-kwon, and Shin Rin-ah, and tells the story of a family that moves to Jangsan in Busan and, after encountering a girl in the forest, begins to see people disappear one by one. Because actual Jangsan has become heavily urbanized and it was difficult to evoke an eerie, mysterious atmosphere, filming took place in areas such as Gangwon Province.

〈Sinchon Zombie Comics〉(2014) segment 'Ghost' : Changcheon-dong, Changcheon Neighborhood Park, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul

This entry on the list is the only one not based on an urban legend but on an actual incident. The event known as the 'Sinchon university student murder' occurred in 2012, when a university student was stabbed to death in Changcheon Neighborhood Park near Sinchon Station. More shocking was that the perpetrators were juveniles who had met on an online 'spirit cafe' that believed in ghosts and witches, and they committed the murder at the behest of a chatroom operator who called themselves a 'witch.'

The 'Ghost' segment of the film 〈Sinchon Zombie Comics〉 dramatizes this incident. 〈Sinchon Zombie Comics〉 is an omnibus film that links three shorts themed on 'Sinchon,' 'zombies,' and 'comics.' The 'Sinchon' segment titled 'Ghost' was directed by Ryu Seung-wan and features Lee Da-wit, Park Jung-min, and Son Su-hyun. Ryu used 3D techniques to portray social media addiction and the warped desires of alienated youths in a dry, unsentimental way. However, the murder scene was not filmed in Changcheon Neighborhood Park in Sinchon but at a playground in an apartment complex in Gangdong District.