We kick off Spooky Summer with a handful of ghost stories and haunted tourist sites. Enjoy!
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Credits
Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey
Music by Soraksan
Top Tier Patrons
Angel Earl
Joel Bonomini
Devon Hiphner
Gabi Palomino
Steve Marsh
Eva Sikora
Hunter Winter
Cecilia Löfgren Dumas
Ashley Wright
Edward Bradford
Boram Yoon
Chad Struhs
Stewart MacMillan
Louise Dreisig
Spooky Chilly Summer: Korean Ghost Stories to Give You Chills
Introduction
Summer in Korea can be scorching—but nothing cools you off faster than a good ghost story. In Part 7 of Spooky Chilly Summer, Shawn and Joe deliver three of the creepiest urban legends: a masked grandma who quizzes wandering kids, a forest chair that shows you your own funeral, and a subway rider who refuses to disappear. Plus, discover haunted tourist sites you can visit—if you dare.
The Hong Kong Grandma’s Question
- Summer 1992 in Mapo-gu: kids whisper of the Halmae Gwishin in a red mask
- Ritual requires answering each question and ending with “Hong Kong”
- Showing flat palms means death; Min-jun bends his fingers and earns mercy
The Chair in the Forest
- Dusk hike outside Seoul reveals a lone wooden chair in a clearing
- Sit without offering a coin or flower, and you’ll glimpse your own funeral
- Survivors swear leaving an offering spares them from that final vision
The Subway Ghost
- Last train out of Seoul, empty cars, a pale boy in an old school uniform
- He asks for a ride home to an address you recognize—only to vanish on the platform
- Next day you learn he died at that station years ago; some riders still see him
Conclusion
Whether it’s an alleyway Q&A with Halmae, a haunted seat in the woods, or a never-ending subway ride, Korea’s summer nights hide too many shadows. Pack a flashlight—and some coins—before you head out.