Tag: Mapo-gu Halmae Gwishin

  • Creepy Summer Stories 2025

    Creepy Summer Stories 2025

    We kick off Spooky Summer with a handful of ghost stories and haunted tourist sites. Enjoy!

    Apple Podcasts  Spotify Audible Stitcher   Buzzsprout   RSS

     

    Join our Patreon to get more stuff

    https://patreon.com/darksideofseoul

    Book a tour of The Dark Side of Seoul Ghost Walk at https://darksideofseoul.com

    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
    Ron Chang
    Hunter Winter
    Cecilia Löfgren Dumas
    Ashley Wright
    Edward Bradford
    Boram Yoon
    Chad Struhs
    Stewart MacMillan
    Louise Dreisig

    Creepy Korean ghost stories

    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.