The Dark Side of Seoul Podcast
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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...
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From Madness to Reform | The Fall of Joseon, part 17
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King Jeongjo inherited a kingdom broken by madness, murder, and factional greed. In this episode, we look at how the grandson of...
Kidnapped!
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Kidnapping and abduction attempts are on the rise in Korea, with more than nine cases per week. We break down the numbers, the sh...
Cursed Landmarks
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We tour Korea’s “cursed landmarks,” from the Blue House to Jongno Tower, the National Assembly, Cheonggyecheon, and beyond. Thes...
Cruel Summer 2: Crueler Summerer
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Our follow-up to Cruel Summer shows Korea’s August crimes were just as horrific. A shaman murdered her niece in a ritual. Couple...
Cruel Summer
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Summer in Korea sucks. This was a record-breaking year for temps. Floods were awful again. Crime was pretty damn bad, too. Big on...
K-Pop Demon Hunters: Folklore & Satire
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K-Pop Demon Hunters looks flashy on the surface, but it hides a lot of Korean folklore inside the glitter. We talk about mudang r...
The Wailing Woman and the Red-Hatted Ghosts of Korea | Spooky Chills Summer
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We close out Spooky Summer with a set of chilling Korean ghost stories and urban legends. Joe shares tales of the Wailing Woman,...
Ghost Stories That Grew Up With the City | Spooky Chills Summer
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A chill night-walk through Korea’s darker folklore: we bring together old graves, cursed bills, haunted portraits, and digital te...
11 Haunted Haunts of Seoul | Spooky Chills Summer
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Shawn and Joe guide you through 11 of Seoul’s eeriest locations—from the pressure-draining crossroads at Sejong Intersection to t...
Spooky Chills Summer: Unsettling Urban Legends
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Turn off the lights. Slip on your headphones. Tonight’s Spooky Summer episode takes you to the edge of your seat with five skin-c...
Spooky Chills Summer: Our Creepiest Stories
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Ready to pucker up from sheer creepiness? Ditch the cheery summer playlists and crank your earbuds—these tales will haunt your dr...
Spooky Chills Summer: Ghost Stories on Jayuro Highway
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Shawn and Joe take you on a fog-shrouded drive down Paju’s Jayuro Highway to hunt the road’s most bone-chilling legends: the Woma...
Spooky Summer Ghost Stories 2025
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We kick of Spooky Chills Summer 2025 with three fresh stories and more.
Brace yourselves for three spine-tinglers in Spooky...
Prince Sado’s Madness and Murder | The Fall of Joseon, part 16 (1735-1762)
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Prince Sado’s life reads like a gothic horror: crowned heir, but driven mad by his father’s cold perfectionism, he slew palace se...
POSCO Unforged: Corruption, Accidents, & Cover-Ups
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POSCO helped forge modern South Korea, but at what cost? We trace the company’s origins under Park Chung-hee’s grand steel plan,...
North Korea 75 Years Later with Jacco Zwetsloot (NK News Podcast)
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Seventy-five years after the Korean War began, North Korea still defines its identity by the conflict. NK News Podcast host Jacc...
Unwelcome Guests: The 1871 US Incident in Korea
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Featuring Thomas Duvernay, PhD | Sinmiyangyo: The 1871 Conflict Between the United States and Korea
When American warships...
Yeongjo’s Quest for Balance: Ending Factional Fury | Fall of Joseon 15
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After the Noron and Soron slaughter of 1721–22, Joseon lay fractured. When Prince Yeoning ascended as King Yeongjo, he resolved t...
Korea and Canada Share Folklore?
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You may find it hard to believe that two countries as different as Korea and Canada have shared folklore. Why is that? And just w...
Unexplained Deaths of Expats in Korea
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Death is inevitable, but for many expats in Korea, the cause of death remains a mystery. In this episode, we delve into the unse...
When Love Meets Politics | Fall of Joseon, part 14
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King Sukjong's reign, beginning at just 13 years old, was a turbulent time for Joseon, marked by power struggles, love affairs, a...
Tragic Ghosts
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What makes a ghost so moody, and why are some spirits bound to haunt the living with vengeance and sorrow? We explore the most tr...
Ask Us. We Dare You!
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What is something about Korea that’s overrated? Why is shamanism viewed so negatively? How has Korean changed since COVID? We too...
Ghost Book Sneak Peek
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Shawn gives us a preview of his upcoming book about Korean ghost stories, encounters, and folklore.
Starting at just $5/mo...
Gwangjang Market: Secrets, Snacks, and the Shady Side of Seoul’s Most Famous Market
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Gwangjang Market is a street food paradise… but what’s lurking behind the bindaetteok stalls and mayak gimbap counters? In this e...
Boondoggles: Korean Grand Prix
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South Korea's hosting of the Formula One Grand Prix in Yeongam (2010-2013) was supposed to bring global prestige, but instead bec...
Strange Things Found on Naver Maps
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In this episode of The Dark Side of Seoul Podcast, we take a deep dive into the strange, unusual, and downright bizarre things we...
Joseon Korea vs. Qing China: A Kingdom Caught Between Loyalty and Survival | Fall of Joseon, part 13
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In this episode of The Fall of Joseon, we dive into the political turmoil and military invasions that rocked Joseon Korea in the...
Korean Tourism 50 Years Ago
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What was Korea like for tourists in 1975? In this episode, we explore the unique travel experience of that time, based on a fasc...
Tapgol Park
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Join us as we explore the history of Tapgol Park, a significant landmark in Seoul. From its origins as a temple site to its role...
Friendly Fire
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In The Dark Side of Seoul Podcast episode "Friendly Fire," we investigate a tragic mistake during a live-fire drill in Pocheon, S...
Korean Funerals
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In this episode, we explore the emotional and cultural significance of Korean funeral rites, as seen through the lens of a recen...
School Murder
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In this somber episode, we discuss the tragic murder of elementary school student Kim Ha-neul, allegedly at the hands of a teache...
Korean Conspiracy Theories
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Explore the rising tide of conspiracy theories in Korea, from government cover-ups to ideological divides, and how these beliefs...
King Injo: Factionalism, Rebellion, Factionalism | Fall of Joseon, part 12
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King Injo: Factionalism, Rebellion, Factionalism | Fall of Joseon, Part 12 delves into the turbulent reign of King Injo, who asce...
Korean Ghosts of the 15th Century: Poltergeists, Spirits, and Vengeance
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We’re taking a step back in time to the 15th century to uncover how ghosts were viewed in early Korean culture. From poltergeist...
Murder! Or Self Defense?
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🚨 What Happens When Self-Defence Goes Wrong in Korea? 🚨
In this gripping episode, we examine the case of Choi Mal-ja, wh...
Squid Game 2: Korean Culture Elements You Missed, Part 2
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We dive into as many Korean cultural nuances we could find that may have had you scratching your head while watching Squid Game 2...
Squid Game 2: Korean Culture Elements You Missed, Part 1
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We dive into as many Korean cultural nuances we could find that may have had you scratching your head while watching Squid Game 2...
Did She Really Murder Her Father?
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🚨 Parricide Case Revisited 🚨
In this gripping episode, we cover the strange and convoluted case of Kim Shin-hye, a woman...