The Dark Side of Seoul Podcast

Send us Fan Mail Korea can be a ton of fun, with its thousands of parks, facilities, restaurants, and pubs. But is it fun for everyone? Maybe not for those banned from entering these places. We explore segregation in Korea.  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...

Send us Fan Mail We explore a few of the lesser known haunted claims from some of Korea’s most popular tourist sites. 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 Shaaron Cullen De...

Send us Fan Mail Japan mounts its second invasion of Joseon Korea. Will the king again abandon his people? I think we already know the answer. Media recommendation Samuel Hawley’s Youtube series on the Imjin War (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piOuF02ijdQ) Join our Patreon to get more stuff https://patreon.com/darksideofseoul Book a tour of The Dark Side of Seoul Ghost Walk at https://darksideofs...

Send us Fan Mail Part five of our series based on the book “Ugly Koreans, Ugly Americans,” where we explore more cultural differences and discuss them. Ugly Koreans, Ugly Americans: Cultural and behavioral differences between Koreans and Americans Min Byoung-chul 1993-2007 Join our Patreon to get more stuff https://patreon.com/darksideofseoul Book a tour of The Dark Side of Seoul Ghost Walk at htt...

Send us Fan Mail Our Zodiac series continues! The majestic horse plays a role in Korean folklore, from gods, ghosts, rituals, and even food!  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 Bo...

Send us Fan Mail Rites, charms, and ceremonies for ghosts and spirits have long been part of Korean folk traditions. But the times they are a-changin’. How are these old traditions done in the 21st century?  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 Sha...

Send us Fan Mail Ten years after the Sewol ferry disaster, how has South Korea changed? What surprising consequences sprouted from this tragedy? Danwon High School Memorial Classrooms Website 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 Mus...

Send us Fan Mail We explore some cases of animals escaping, disrupting traffic, pooping on city streets, or worse - hurting people who got in their way. 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 E...

Send us Fan Mail Admiral Yi Sun Shin enters the stage with his rival Admiral Gwon Yul. Can Joseon officials suspend their factionalism to defend their kingdom? Well… Media recommendation Samuel Hawley’s Youtube series on the Imjin War (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piOuF02ijdQ) Join our Patreon to get more stuff https://patreon.com/darksideofseoul Book a tour of The Dark Side of Seoul Ghost Walk...

Send us Fan Mail Major changes are happening in Korean culture, population, and lifestyle. With the changes come a growing tragedy: people who die alone and long periods before the bodies are discovered.  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...

Send us Fan Mail While Joseon Korea officials bicker and backstab, Japan mounts an epic invasion. See King Seonjo run. Run, Seonjo, run! 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 Bonomin...

Send us Fan Mail Our Zodiac series continues with snakes, their role in folk culture, and the snakes that inhabit Korea. PLUS Joe’s irrational fear of snakes. Media recommendations  Ssssnake (1973) Stanley (1972) Snakes on a Plane Conan the Barbarian  Anaconda (absolute garbage, but fun) Join our Patreon to get more stuff https://patreon.com/darksideofseoul Book a tour of The Dark Side of Seoul Gh...

Send us Fan Mail Con artists and scammers and hustlers, oh my! Korea has its fair share of these bloodsuckers, and many of them target you - expats and tourists! We highlight some of the worst.  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...

Send us Fan Mail Korea’s 300-year of rule by, of, and for the scholarly elite begins. But of course there must be intrigue, torture, and death. It’s the Joseon Dynasty. 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...

Send us Fan Mail Questions from Instagram about Korean food, history, ghosts, and even skin care! We try to answer as many as we can in the only way we know how. 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 Patron...

Send us Fan Mail Happy Year of the Dragon! We explore the powerful, determined creatures of myth found in Korean motifs, dreamlore, and spirituality. They’re also annoying jerks.  Media recommendations (not really too many horror movie dragons) D-War (just kidding; don’t watch that) Godzilla (sorta) Dragonslayer Reign of Fire How to Train Your Dragon series Pete’s Dragon (1977) ←Joe’s recommendati...

Send us Fan Mail You got a new job. It’s time to renew your visa. You’re applying for permanent residency. It’s hardly ever fun, friendly, or smooth-sailing. We look at some experiences with the most annoying and frightening part of Korea: The Immigration Office.     Join our Patreon to get more stuff https://patreon.com/darksideofseoul Book a tour of The Dark Side of Seoul Ghost Walk at https://d...

Send us Fan Mail We have some history and trivia about Korea’s “other” New Year holiday. Listen now. 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. Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Mus...

Send us Fan Mail What did K-horror have on offer in 2023? And how is the domestic film industry doing? Joining us again to discuss all this is film critic and producer Pierce Conran.  Pierce Conran https://twitter.com/pierceconran South China Morning Post Letterboxd Join our Patreon to get more stuff https://patreon.com/darksideofseoul Book a tour of The Dark Side of Seoul Ghost Walk at https://da...

Send us Fan Mail The Mighty Han River! The river is highlighted in Korea’s economic success: the Miracle on the Han. Its waters are also keepers of dark secrets of death and ghosts.  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 Sor...

Send us Fan Mail It’s the dead of winter. While gods and ghosts are making moves on the human world, the New Year is coming and with it, hope.  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...

Send us Fan Mail In a country as small and densely populated as Korea, complaints over shared space are common. No complaint is as common - or as potentially murderous - as a noisy neighbor.   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 Mu...

Send us Fan Mail The iconic symbol of Seoul has its roots in the 14th century. Listen to this episode for its history and weird trivia. 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...

Send us Fan Mail In burying the dead or building palaces, old Korea saw value in offering human sacrifices. And it happened more often than you may think.  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 Ange...

Send us Fan Mail Traditionally, concerns of the coming cold months set in. Some comfort in nights becoming shorter from winter solstice, but temperatures tend to plummet throughout the coming weeks. Survival and hopes that you’ve prepared enough winter stores are worries, but there’s fun and celebration as well. The 11th lunar month (11wol) starts on December 13, concludes on January 10. It has 29...