Scary Korean Horror Stories and Legends

I don’t know about you, but I love a good ghost story or two. As someone who does believe in ghosts and has had supernatural experiences, nothing gives me chills like a spooky tale. I for one, love scary Korean horror stories and legends so it’s honestly my great pleasure to retell to you some of the stories I’ve encountered. Some tales come from other expats, others are ones I have heard myself, and some my students have told me.

Grab yourself a snack or a drink (preferably a sweet pumpkin latte 단호박 라떼), light your pumpkin spice candle, get on your cozy pajamas, bring your best fuzzy blanket, and settle in to read these scary Korean stories in English. Be careful, chills ahead.

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1. Beware the Darkest Day of the Year

In Korea, it is believed on the darkest day of the year, ghosts and demons come out to play. This is usually during the winter solstice also called Dongji 동지. It usually happens in December, but it doesn’t make this day any less scary. Get your spoons ready because according to Koreans, eating a dark porridge called patjuk 팥죽 keeps the demons and ghosts away.

This dish consists of piping hot red beans and sticky rice balls. During this time, families also perform ancestral rites. Apparently eating this porridge will make you look frightening since the dark color makes it look like blood.

2. Mr. Cuckoo

This urban legend is about a man who was unfortunately mentally unwell. He was so mentally disturbed, he was sent to one of the most horrific mental asylums. (Maybe Gonjiam?)

While there, his stay was nothing short of a nightmare. He was horrifically beaten by another female patient. His torture at her hands was so severe, he not only despised her, but all women in general.

One day, he managed to escape. Soon after, reports from around the country started flooding in about a man attacking high school girls with an ax. Despite numerous reports and deaths, police could never track Mr. Cuckoo’s whereabouts.

Legend has it, his vengeful ghost lurks in alleyways. Whenever a woman would walk by he would jump out and scream, “Cuckoo! Cuckoo! Cuckoo!” If you want to survive, repeat his catchphrase back to him and run for your life. If he gets close enough to ask you the question, “Do you know Mr. Cuckoo?” Answer yes and never look back.

3. The Daegu Fortune Teller

The legend about the Daegu fortune teller is one I heard from another expat. He has given me express permission to post the story as long as the names are changed.

Word on the street has it that fortune teller #3 in Daegu is scarily accurate. Whatever the fortune teller says, comes true. One day, Mike’s wife Jihyun went to see this fortune teller with her good friend, Minji. When they approached, the fortune teller grew white in the face. She said, “Jihyun, I will read your fortune, but I will not do it for your friend. She has no future.”

Angry and thinking that the fortune teller just wanted to go home, both women left. The next day, Minji died in a car accident.

3. The Girl in the Bookshelf

This is a story my students told me and it honestly gave me a bunch of chills.

One night, there was a boy studying for his final exams in the library. While studying, he noticed a strange girl staring at him through the bookshelf. She was smiling and had her chin propped up on her elbows.

Thinking that she was just strange, the boy went back to studying. A couple hours later, the same girl was staring at him through another bookshelf. Again, he ignored it because he had an important test to study for.

As it grew later, the library patrons started to clear out. Alone and with the library about to close, the boy began to hear strange tapping noises. Looking around, he saw the girl one more time. This time, she was at the foot of the table he was studying at, still smiling eerily.

As he was about to ask her what she wanted, he noticed the tapping sounds were coming from her elbows as she quickly raced toward him to where he sat… with only half a body.

4. The Eunuch at the Secret Garden

This story comes from my good friend, Heather who has given me permission to share the story.

The day started off like any other. Most expats spend the first few months of their time abroad going to all the tourist sites (myself included). Heather and her group of friends were no different. While enjoying their new host country and walking around Changdeokgung Palace, Heather began feeling a strange energy permeating through the grounds. Her friends decided to do do a tour of the Secret Garden and that’s when the energy she was feeling became more apparent.

You see, there’s a difference in ghosts and hauntings. There are residual hauntings and leftover energies. To her, whatever was there seemed aware of their presence.

Towards the “Gate of Eternal Youth”, there is a gazebo and small pond filled with lotuses. That’s where she saw a man dressed in deep evergreen robes with a black hat and black belt over his chest. The man realized she could see him perfectly and they locked eyes. He bowed and she also bowed back as a sign of respect.

He opened his mouth to try and say something, but she was too far away to hear anything he might have said. This spirit knew the world had been changing. How much time had passed since their meeting? No one knew. The eunuch waved her off to rejoin her tour group as he watched them all go on their way. If you’re ever taking a tour, pay close attention. You might be able to see him too.

5. The Woman At Jayuro

There is a strip of highway between Paju and Goyang. It’s located slightly north of Seoul. Jayuro Road is particularly notorious for having many accidents as it is foggy, has poor visibility, and not many street lights.

Due to the nature of the road, it has been known to have many accidents although some people believe that not all of these accidents are caused by the road itself…

Many have claimed to see a woman standing in the road wearing black sunglasses. Curious onlookers have approached her only to be scared out of their minds. The closer they got, the more they realized she wasn’t wearing sunglasses.

When the woman looks at them full on, they find two gaping black holes in her head where her eyes should be. Understandably, no one has stuck around to find out the history behind this mysterious woman. I would be peeing my pants right then and there. Holy water anyone?

6. The Fortune Teller & The Demons

This next story is one of the most chilling and scary Korean folk tales.

A long time ago, there lived an old fortune teller who was blind. What he could not see with his physical eyes, he could see with his sixth sense. While going around Hanyang (the old capital in the Seoul vicinity), he felt a dark presence around a nobleman’s house.

When inquiring as to what happened, a guard said, “The nobleman’s daughter has died.”

The fortune teller, knowing that she was not dead and could still save her, demanded to go into the nobleman’s house. The nobleman, convinced this fortune teller could save his daughter, brought his daughter’s body into a room. The old man quickly proceeded to seal every entrance into the room and began chanting.

While he chanted, unearthly sounds could be heard coming from the room. There were sounds of groaning and screeching as the fortune teller drove the demons inhabiting the nobleman’s daughter. The sounds struck fear into the hearts of everyone in the household and made their hair stand on end. Still, he worked diligently, never giving up.

A curious servant, skeptical of the fortune teller, then poked a hole through the paper door to see what was going on. In that instance, the demons inhabiting the room escaped. The young girl opened her eyes and when the family tried to repay the fortune teller, he refused their gifts citing, “Because the demons have escaped, they will seek vengeance upon me.”

And revenge did come in the form of the king who believed him to be a con artist making fools of the ignorant and poor people. The king set a rat in front of the fortune teller and when he asked the fortune teller how many rats in front of him, the fortune teller replied three.

Thinking the old man had failed the test, the king sentenced him to death. However, when the rat was dissected, there were two perfectly formed fetuses inside. However, before the king could give the signal to save the fortune teller, the wind was roaring and the message was not delivered.

As the old fortune teller was beheaded, a series of demonic laughs filled the kingdom and the wind fell silent.

Bonus: The Dark Side of Seoul

If you’re in Seoul around September or October, then you definitely want to go on the Dark Side of Seoul Tour. This tour will take you along Seoul’s most haunted alleyways and crannies. You’ll get insider information on places locals specifically avoid due to ghost stories, tragedies, or urban legends. This is a great way to go ghost hunting and really enjoy spooky season here in South Korea.

I hope you all enjoyed these creepy stories and legends from Korea. Which one was your favorite? I personally got chills from The Girl in the Bookshelf and Mr. Cuckoo. I’d also like to mention that you should definitely check out this scary Korean comic in English (it’s a true story to boot) about a woman who killed herself by jumping from a building. Honestly, my retelling of it on the blog wouldn’t do it justice.

Got a scary story or know an urban legend from Korea? Leave me your creepiest and scariest true stories in the comments down below. I’d love to read them. If you’d like your story featured, send me an email at ginabearsblog@gmail.com.

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