The Dark Side of Seoul Podcast

Send us Fan Mail Turn off your lights. Put on your headphones. Cool off with some chilling tales. 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 Listener Mail! Send us a message (Instagram, Facebook, email) and we might read it on air. Music by Soraksan Ending music performed by MissShadowLovely...

Send us Fan Mail Guest: Ryan Berkebile Seoul has obliterated a lot of its history in the mad rush to progress. Only in recent years has the government required archaeological surveys before major construction in certain locations. Korea’s small passionate urban exploring community catalogs the areas that the government thinks aren’t royal enough to matter. One of these “urbexers” joins us to tell...

Send us Fan Mail Guests - Shin-hye and Yeong-ho  The #MeToo Movement looks different in Korea. Pushes for equality devolve into scorched earth battles. Megalia. GS25. Gangnam restroom murder. Mandatory male military service. South Korea has the widest gender gap in the OECD. Each side blames the other for why it hasn’t narrowed.  Two young Korean guests join us to debate what modern women and men...

Send us Fan Mail Child abuse has made Korean headlines this past year. Korean scholars claim that there are aspects of traditional culture that have normalized it. We talk about some recent impactful cases. Then we frame it according to what Korean scholars have observed.   Join our Patreon to get more stuff https://patreon.com/darksideofseoul Book a tour of The Dark Side of Seoul Ghost Walk at ht...

Send us Fan Mail Two mysterious unrelated murders happened in Itaewon in 1997 and 2001. One was famous. The other was forgotten. Part two of our History of Itaewon covers Itaewon’s rise as a trendy hotspot, its rapid demise, and its future. 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 Listener...

Send us Fan Mail Why has Itaewon historically been the village of foreigners? Why was the U.S. military base positioned there? We cover some of Itaewon’s weird and dark secrets that go back hundreds of years. 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 Listener Mail! Send us a message (Instag...

Send us Fan Mail Here are five reasons people believe in ghosts. We also share ghostly experiences people have submitted for our upcoming book--and we’re still taking submissions. Listen for details. 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 Listener Mail! Send us a message (Instagram, Face...

Send us Fan Mail “There aren’t any drugs in Korea.” Shyah, right! We upend this myth with the history of drugs in both South and North Koreas. Which drugs are popular, where do they come from, and where can you get them? We answer two out of three. 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...

Send us Fan Mail South Korea huddled every Sunday night from the ‘70s to late ‘80s to watch the horror series “Hometown Legends” (Jeonseolui Gohyang 전설의고향). Now Korean horror TV is experiencing a resurgence. What makes Korean horror TV unique? How does it differ from horror film?  Guest - Pierce Conran K-Drama Critic - South China Morning Post Ko-Biz - Reporter Arirang Culture YouTube https:/...

Send us Fan Mail Ghost stories, sex scandals, massacres, and intrigue from the airport city of Incheon to the trendy alleys of Ikseon-dong. There’s a dark story behind these places that the tourism organizations don’t want you to know about. 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 Listene...

Send us Fan Mail The death penalty has become a hot topic lately after #SorryJeongin. Shawn covers the history of gruesome and famous executions in Korean history and the state of South Korea’s death penalty today. 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 Listener Mail! Send us a message (...

Send us Fan Mail Modern Korea was shaped as much by its disasters as its achievements. The 21st century started with fires and serial killers as disasters went from a macro to a human level.  (1999) Sealand Youth Training Centre - 23 killed (1999) Inchon bar fire - 65 killed (2003) Daegu subway fire - 192 killed (2003-2004) Yu Yeong-cheol - 20 killed (2008) Fire in refrigeration distribution wareh...

Send us Fan Mail Modern Korea was shaped as much by its disasters as its achievements. The 1990s were known as “The Disaster Republic.” The earlier decade’s rush to build the country resulted in horrific building and bridge collapses. (October 28, 1992) Murder of Yoon Geum-yi (Jan 7, 1993) Wooam Shopping Arcade Collapse - 28 killed (March 28, 1993) Gupo Mugunghwa Train - 78 killed (July 26, 1993)...

Send us Fan Mail Modern Korea was shaped as much by its disasters as its achievements. The 1980s saw its share of air disasters and terrorism from North Korea. Plus the Hwaseong serial murders that weren’t solved until 2019. (1980) Korean Air Lines Flight 015 crash (1983) February 1982 Korean Air Force C-123 accident  (1986) Gimpo International Airport bombing (1987) Korean Air Flight 858 bombing...

Send us Fan Mail Modern Korea was shaped as much by its disasters as its achievements. In the first of four episodes, we cover sinkings, fires, hijackings, and mass murders that still echo through society. (Jan 9, 1953) Ferry MV Changgyeong sinking (1969) Korean Air Lines YS-11 hijacking (Dec 15, 1970) Sinking of Namyoung-Ho ferry (1971) Gimpo mass shooting (Dec 25, 1971) Daeyeongak Hotel fire - D...

Send us Fan Mail Guest: Julia Mellor - The Sool Company https://thesoolcompany.com The Glories and Stories of Korean Liquor. Korean sool specialist and brewer Julia Mellor shares the uniqueness of Korean alcohol and boozy traditions.  Join our Patreon to get more stuff https://patreon.com/darksideofseoul Send us a message (Instagram, Facebook, email) and we might read it on air. Music by Soraksan...

Send us Fan Mail The podcast is one year old! We break down the year and discuss Korean first birthday traditions, folklore, and spirits. We also regale mysterious births in Korean history. 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 Listener Mail! Send us a message (Instagram, Facebook, emai...

Send us Fan Mail Combine the sadism of Game of Throne’s King Joffrey and Ramsay “The Bastard” Bolton with Robert Baratheon’s appetites, and you have Prince Yeonsan. 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 Listener Mail! Send us a message (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, email) and we might...

Send us Fan Mail In the mid-1980s, people were randomly collapsing and dying around Seoul. Or was it random?  On this week’s podcast, we recount one of the lesser known mass murder episodes in Korea. It’s a sad story, and the killer’s identity will shock you. Join our Patreon to get more stuff https://patreon.com/darksideofseoul Book a tour of The Dark Side of Seoul Ghost Walk at https://darksideo...

Send us Fan Mail Korean folktales carry universal memes you can find in European and African folklore. Evil stepmothers, shapeshifting animals and humans, and magical monks with Jedi-like powers. PLUS the tale of the Nine Dragons Temple. 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 Listener Ma...

Send us Fan Mail Was Korean Independence a failed movement? Now that we’ve got your attention, we explore the events, conspiracies, and urban legends behind Korea’s biggest national holiday. 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 Listener Mail! Send us a message (Instagram, Twitter, Face...

Send us Fan Mail The controversial Deposed Queen Yun kickstarted the events of the next hundred years. What led to her messy execution?  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 Listener Mail! Send us a message (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, email) and we might read it on air. Music by Sor...

Send us Fan Mail Guest - Jane Han Ling , Mudang (The Bridge) Instagram - @janehanling Kakao - Jane Han Ling Yelp - Eastern Path (Newport Beach) Korean-American Mudang Jane Han Ling joins us to share her story of her journey to becoming a traditional Korean shaman and how she’s incorporated western concepts into Korean shamanism. Join our Patreon to get more stuff https://patreon.com/darksideofseou...

Send us Fan Mail Guest Jon Dunbar (Broken Korea, Korea Times, DaehanminDecline.com, General Editor of Royal Asiatic Society) For a time, Hongdae was the center of Korea’s punk, rock, and live music scene. Then it was gone. Journalist Jon Dunbar explains what the freak happened. Map of locations mentioned in the podcast: http://bit.ly/darksidehongdae Join our Patreon to get more stuff https://patre...

Send us Fan Mail Shawn surveyed 400 Korean citizens about their beliefs in ghosts. The results were intriguing. How do Korean definitions of ghosts differ from western definitions? 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 Listener Mail! Send us a message (Instagram, Facebook, email) and we...