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PODCAST

The Dark Side of Seoul Podcast

Korean dark history, ghost tales, folklore, serial killers, true crime, and more. You are about to discover why Korea has the spookiest stories and darkest history.Folklorist Shawn and history buff Joe delve into Korea"s gruesome stories of massacres, betrayals, and blood. It"s like "Game of Thrones" in Asia. We share our passion for Korea and its struggles throughout time. If you enjoy shows like "Kingdom," this is the podcast for you. Even if you know nothing about Korea, its history will become

history places & travel

All Episodes

01:46:06

The History of Korean Horror

The Dark Side of Seoul Podcast ·

2026/10/03

Joe and Shawn are joined by Justin Kyle, co-host of the weekly horror film podcast Straight Chilling, for a decade-by-decade guide to Korean horror cinema. Starting from a lost 1924 silent film made under Japanese occupation and running through Na Hong-jin's divisive 2024 creature feature, Justin leads a structured tour of the films, directors, themes, and historical forces that shaped one of world cinema's most distinctive horror traditions.Guest Justin Kyle, Straight Chilling Podcast

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00:39:50

The Problem with Korean Ghosts

The Dark Side of Seoul Podcast ·

2026/09/13

Why do ghosts conveniently conform to the culture of the people seeing them? Korean folklore gives us the cheonyeo gwishin, Western traditions have their own recognizable specters, and decades of movies have taught us that ghosts should be translucent, vaporous, and obviously dead.Joe and Shawn question whether any of those images are useful when examining claims of actual ghost encounters. If ghosts represent a genuine phenomenon, Shawn argues, their basic characteristics should remain consistent

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00:34:29

The Museum That Won't Tell You Its Own Story

The Dark Side of Seoul Podcast ·

2026/09/03

Joe visited a brand-new free museum in Seoul's Insadong neighborhood built on a six-year archaeological excavation. The dig exposed a layer of the city from the late 1590s, right before the Japanese invasions reduced large parts of Seoul to rubble. The artifacts are fascinating. The signage is a list of measurements. The actual story, that this neighborhood was frozen in the moment before catastrophe, is buried in a set of video interviews near the back that most visitors probably walk past.Topics

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02:12:40

Tourist Season: How is Insa-dong?

The Dark Side of Seoul Podcast ·

2026/08/17

Topics DiscussedInsa-dong as one of Joe and Shawn’s first experiences of SeoulHow the neighborhood has changed since the early 2000sTraditional Korean incense and surviving specialty shopsThe hidden waterways that shaped Insa-dong’s streetsInsa-dong during the late Joseon period and Korean EmpireHow Japanese colonial rule helped create the antiques districtLooted temple and palace artifacts entering the antique tradeThe rise of artists, galleries, tea houses, and literary cultureCrime and

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00:29:55

Tourist Season: Nami Island & Tourist Trap River

The Dark Side of Seoul Podcast ·

2026/08/10

Topics DiscussedNami Island’s origins, General Nami and the false tomb, Korea’s domestic tourism boom, Winter Sonata and the early Korean Wave, K-drama tourism, artist Kang Woo-hyon’s transformation of the island, the Republic of Naminara, tourism marketing, Gapyeong attractions, Instagram tourism, overtourism, and whether Nami Island is actually worth visiting. Useful Timestamps 00:00 Tourist Season summer replay introduction00:31 Why are we talking about Nami Island?02:01 Nami Island wasn’t

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01:50:50

Tourist Season: The Dark Side of Koren Tourist Sites...

The Dark Side of Seoul Podcast ·

2026/08/02

Tourist brochures rarely tell the whole story. In this Tourist Season replay, Joe and Shawn revisit one of the podcast's most popular travel episodes, uncovering the wars, massacres, murders, ghost stories, and redevelopment controversies hidden behind some of Korea's best-known tourist destinations.Topics Discussed Tourist Season summer replay series Why famous destinations deserve deeper historical context Incheon and the Battle of Incheon during the Korean War The 2017 Incheon child

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01:26:55

Tourist Season: Tourists from Hell (replay)

The Dark Side of Seoul Podcast ·

2026/07/21

This week kicks off our summer rerun series, digging up the best tourism episodes from the archive while we take a break from new true crime deep dives. First up: 141, Tourists from Hell.Years of running walking tours and food tours in Seoul means years of collecting the worst behavior tourism has to offer. Hand holders who never read their confirmation emails. Tour-splainers who think they know the history better than the guide telling it. The no-show who ghosted, left a one-star review, then

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00:34:50

The Ulsan Family Tragedy

The Dark Side of Seoul Podcast ·

2026/07/10

Episode Summary A father and his four children were found dead in their home in Ulsan after months of severe financial hardship. While the case was ruled a murder-suicide, the discussion quickly expands beyond the crime itself into the failures of Korea's welfare system, the stigma surrounding mental health, and the bureaucratic obstacles that can leave vulnerable families without meaningful support. Joe and Shawn examine how the family had already been identified as a high-risk household and had

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00:46:59

The Weird Science Behind Korean Food Nationalism

The Dark Side of Seoul Podcast ·

2026/07/04

Dark Side of Seoul Podcast Episode 316 The Weird Science Behind Korean Food Nationalism Episode Description A 2023 paper published in the Journal of Ethnic Foods argues that Korean cuisine developed in isolation, authentic Korean food isn't spicy, and even that royal court cuisine isn't truly Korean. In this episode, we examine the paper's historical, linguistic, archaeological, and scientific claims to see where the evidence supports the authors and where nationalism appears to outweigh

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01:04:36

The Korean Ghost and Mr. Skeptic

The Dark Side of Seoul Podcast ·

2026/06/17

Send us Fan MailAfter the release of his book Supernatural Encounters in South Korea, one of the comments Shawn received surprised him. Several readers expected a book about ghosts to be written by a true believer. Instead, they found a surprisingly skeptical approach to paranormal claims. One reviewer described the book as "a rather clever turn," while another called Shawn "a more discerning Peter Underwood." In this episode, Joe and Shawn discuss why skepticism is essential

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62:00

Paper Problems: South Korea's Election Fiasco Explained

The Dark Side of Seoul Podcast ·

2026/06/09

Send us Fan Mail South Korea just held its 9th nationwide local elections on June 3, 2026, and what should have been a routine referendum on President Lee Jae-myung's first year turned into a genuine mess. Polling stations in Seoul started running out of ballot paper mid-day. Voters waited hours. Some gave up and left. In Songpa and Gangnam, people were still voting at 10 p.m. And then the protesters showed up to block the ballot boxes. Joe and Shawn break down what actually happened, why the...

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29:37

Burned Twice

The Dark Side of Seoul Podcast ·

2026/06/03

Send us Fan Mail A car exploded in Shawn’s neighborhood, setting off a chain reaction that destroyed multiple vehicles and exposed a brutal insurance loophole in Korea. In this Fun Sized episode, Joe and Shawn discuss the recent fire involving a smoking vehicle that erupted near a GS25 convenience store, igniting a nearby van and damaging surrounding buildings. The discussion quickly turns to the aftermath, where the owner of the destroyed van discovered his insurance would not pay because th...

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17:16

The Dark Side of Finger Hearts - Fun Sized

The Dark Side of Seoul Podcast ·

2026/05/27

Send us Fan Mail AI scams are getting weirder. In this Fun Sized episode, Joe and Shawn discuss the rise of biometric crime in Korea and how AI tools can now potentially lift fingerprints from ordinary photos posted online. Korean security experts are warning that common hand gestures like peace signs and finger hearts may expose enough detail for criminals to recreate biometric data. The hosts explore why Korea is especially vulnerable due to its high-tech culture, selfie habits, and long hi...

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22:41

Korean Myths that Won’t Die, and Some New Myths We...

The Dark Side of Seoul Podcast ·

2026/05/20

Send us Fan Mail “Koreans are better surgeons because they use metal chopsticks.” “Korean grammar makes people more emotionally intelligent.” “Korean relationships are deeper because the language has honorifics.” You’ve probably heard some version of these before. In this Fun Sized episode, we look at some of the strangest Korean nationalist myths, where they come from, why people believe them, and how “gukbbong” culture keeps creating new ones. Inspired by a satirical flyer by Michael Hurt o...

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27:31

Korea's Flashing Problem

The Dark Side of Seoul Podcast ·

2026/05/10

Send us Fan Mail Flashing and public indecency have been a problem in Korea for decades, but recent cases suggest the issue may be getting worse. In this Fun Sized episode, we look at the rise in flashing incidents across South Korea, including cases involving schools, parks, buses, apartment complexes, and public transportation. We also explore the psychology behind exhibitionism, the surprisingly light punishments often given to offenders, and why Korea refers to flashers as “Burberry Men.”...

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45:34

The Composer Korea Tried to Execute

The Dark Side of Seoul Podcast ·

2026/04/29

Send us Fan Mail Isang Yun was one of Korea’s most important composers, blending traditional Korean sounds with modern European music. But in 1967, he was kidnapped off the streets of West Berlin by South Korean agents, tortured, and sentenced to death. In this episode, we explore Yun’s life, his music, and the political forces that turned a composer into a target. From his early years under Japanese rule to his exile in Germany, this is the story of an artist caught between ideology, identit...

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20:42

Fun Size: Why Teachers in Korea Can’t Take Sick Days

The Dark Side of Seoul Podcast ·

2026/04/22

Send us Fan Mail We’re back with another Fun Size episode. This time, we’re looking at something that sounds simple on paper: sick leave. In Korea, it’s legally guaranteed. In reality, it’s often difficult, discouraged, or just not used at all. From teachers paying out of pocket for substitutes to cultural pressure to keep working no matter what, the system doesn’t work the way it’s supposed to. We also talk about a recent case that brought attention to the issue and why change may finally be...

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42:23

The Korean Cherry Blossom Controversy

The Dark Side of Seoul Podcast ·

2026/04/10

Send us Fan Mail Cherry blossoms might seem like the most harmless part of spring in Korea. But behind the crowds, festivals, and photo spots, there’s a deeper story that most people don’t notice. In this episode, we explore the quiet controversy surrounding cherry blossoms in Korea, from their role during Japanese colonial rule to the modern debates about whether they should even be celebrated at all. We also talk about the now-familiar “Cherry Blossom Ajosshi,” a one-man protester who appea...

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17:19

Fun Size: The Gwanghwamun Sign Controversy

The Dark Side of Seoul Podcast ·

2026/04/03

Send us Fan Mail We’re trying something new. This is our first Fun Size episode—a shorter format where we tackle current topics that spark debate in Korea. This time, we’re looking at the controversy surrounding the sign at Gwanghwamun. Should it be written in Hangul or Hanja? It sounds like a simple design choice, but it opens up deeper questions about history, identity, and how Korea presents itself today. We break down the history of Korean writing systems, why Chinese characters were used...

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68:42

The Korea “Would You Rather” Episode You Didn’t Know...

The Dark Side of Seoul Podcast ·

2026/03/20

Send us Fan Mail This episode takes a lighter turn with a “This or That” game that somehow turns into strong opinions about Korean food, hiking, cities, and history. We compare Bukhan-san and Inwang-san, break down bibimbap preferences, and get into the difference between taxi buffets and mountain restaurants. Along the way, we talk about cooking at home versus eating out, the cultural weight of the Goryeo period, and why Busan quietly wins a lot of these debates. There are also a few detours...

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326 results

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