TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - South Korea is renowned for its breathtaking landscapes and vibrant culture, attracting tourists from around the world. But beyond its picturesque beauty, the country also holds a darker, more mysterious side, shaped by its history of war, spiritual traditions, and tragic pasts.
For adventurous travelers with a taste for the supernatural, South Korea offers a range of eerie destinations rumored to be haunted, each with its own chilling backstory.
Before visiting these eerie sites, it helps to understand South Korea’s deep-rooted spiritual and cultural beliefs. One of the oldest folk traditions is shamanism, or Muism, which centers around gods, nature spirits, and ancestral souls. Female shamans, known as mudang, serve as mediums between the human world and the spirit realm.
In addition, Korean folklore is rich with stories of ghosts (gwishin) and spirits, reflecting unresolved emotional themes or tragic deaths.
Here are some of the most haunted places in South Korea, as reported by Travel and Leisure Asia.
1. Jeju Island
Jeju Island has a distinct cultural identity shaped by its geographical isolation from the South Korean mainland. Its unique history includes tragic events that have fueled eerie legends and ghostly encounters. Among the most well-known spirits in Jeju’s folklore is the Cheonyeo Gwishin, or ghost maiden.
These spirits, often honored as deities in their local communities, represent young unmarried women who met untimely and often tragic ends, frequently as victims of rape or suicide.
Believed to become restless souls, they are deeply woven into the island’s mythos. Villages like Marado, Tosan, and Jeongui each revere their own maiden deities, rooted in rich local traditions.
Another haunted place on Jeju Island is the Dokkaebi Road, which stretches between Jeju City and Hallasan National Park. At first glance, it seems like just an ordinary road, but if you stop your car in the middle, it mysteriously appears to roll uphill.
Although this phenomenon is considered an optical illusion, locals believe it is the work of Dokkaebi, Korean goblins known for playing tricks on humans.
Another tragic event that has made Jeju haunted is the Jeju Uprising. A tragic event where millions of lives were lost due to extreme violence and war crimes. Mass graves are scattered throughout the island, one of which was found near Jeju International Airport.
This has led many to believe that Jeju in South Korea is still haunted, as the spirits of these innocent people are believed to still roam the area.
2. Neulbom Garden
Neulbom Garden, recognized as one of South Korea’s three most haunted locations, was once a lively restaurant in Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province. A tragic event unfolded there, leading to its eventual closure and sale to a pastor.
According to local legend, the restaurant was operated by a couple whose daughter met a heartbreaking end just before the establishment opened. In some versions of the tale, she died in an accident, while in others, she survived but was left in a vegetative state.
The father, devastated by the event, committed suicide, and the mother died from an illness caused by grief.
Afterward, several people attempted to run the restaurant, but all reported experiencing strange incidents, leading to its closure.
Neighbors complained of loud noises coming from the restaurant when it was closed, tables mysteriously being cleaned overnight, and customers at times reported ordering from female staff, even though the restaurant only employed male staff. This further added to the belief that the place is haunted.
3. Yeongdeok Haunted House
The Yeongdeok Haunted House, located in Yeongdeok County in Gyeongsang Province, an area known for its snow crabs, is equally infamous for its eerie and unsettling reputation. Sitting on a hill that overlooks the sea, the abandoned house is surrounded by chilling tales of curses and ghostly encounters.
Although the building may appear unremarkable from the outside, its interior is worn down and decaying. Stories of numerous tragedies that occurred in and around the house have made it notorious, with many believing it to be inhabited by hundreds of restless spirits.
One of the most well-known tragedies is connected to the Korean War, as the site is believed to be a mass grave for teenage soldiers who died during suicide missions, adding to the grim legacy of the place.
4. Gonjiam Psychiatric Hospital
Once considered one of the most haunted places in South Korea, the Gonjiam Psychiatric Hospital is an abandoned mental hospital located on the outskirts of Gyeonggi Province.
Despite being completely demolished, its creepy reputation has attracted amateur detectives and ghost hunters. It is rumored that while in operation, patients died under mysterious circumstances, with rumors suggesting that the owner killed or held them hostage.
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