The Dark Side of Seoul Podcast

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 been visited by schools, welfare officials, police, and child protection workers. Despite multiple warning signs, no agency ever developed a complete picture of the family's crisis. The episode explores whether this tragedy represents an isolated incident or a broader failure of institutions designed to protect children and families. Topics Discussed The Ulsan family murder-suicide Carbon monoxide deaths using charcoal briquettes Poverty and financial collapse Single fathers in Korea Mental health stigma Child welfare investigations Bureaucratic barriers to assistance In-kind support versus direct cash assistance Coordination failures between government agencies Korea's suicide rate Proposed welfare reforms Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 02:00 The Ulsan case 06:00 Financial hardship and the family's circumstances 12:00 Welfare assistance and why it wasn't enough 19:00 Single fathers and asking for help 24:00 Child protection and looking for the wrong warning signs 31:00 Mental health, stigma, and caregiver burnout 37:00 Bureaucracy and agency coordination failures 43:00 Possible reforms and remaining concerns Mentioned During the Episode Korea's Basic Livelihood Security Program Korea's child protection system Previous Dark Side of Seoul episodes on K-Poverty, child abuse, Yoo Young-chul, and the WaWo Apartment collapse Shawn's book on ghost encounters in Korea Dark Side of Seoul Ghost Walk Listen & Follow Website: https://darksideofseoul.com Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dark-side-of-seoul-podcast/id1504623984 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1lZBXNX79kwH2NXcJWNcb8 Patreon: https://patreon.com/darksideofseoul YouTube: https://youtube.com/@darksideofseoul Instagram: https://instagram.com/darksideofseoul Facebook: https://facebook.com/darksideofseoul Contact: info@darksideofseoul.com About The Dark Side of Seoul The Dark Side of Seoul explores Korea's darker history, folklore, true crime, urban legends, supernatural traditions, forgotten places, and the cultural stories that don't usually appear in guidebooks. New episodes include deep historical dives alongside our "Fun Sized" discussions of current events, controversies, and unusual aspects of life in Korea. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 scholarship. Topics Discussed Why Korean food doesn't need exaggerated origin stories The concept of food nationalism The "Hermit Kingdom" myth Did Korean cuisine really develop in isolation? Is banchan unique to Korea? Claims that Korean food has no sugar or oil Korean language and the outdated Ural-Altaic theory Ancient DNA and whether genetics can explain cuisine The debate over chili peppers and Korean food history Why the paper argues royal court cuisine isn't Korean How academic papers should distinguish evidence from advocacy Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 03:12 Why this paper caught our attention 08:45 "Correcting" Korean food history 15:20 Korea as an isolated civilization 22:08 Is banchan unique? 28:41 The claims about sugar, oil, and Korean cooking 35:15 Pottery, archaeology, and food history 42:10 Genetics, language, and extraordinary conclusions 49:55 The chili pepper controversy 56:30 Royal court cuisine and cultural identity 1:02:45 Final thoughts Mentioned During the Episode Science and Philosophy of Korea Traditional Foods (K-food) (Journal of Ethnic Foods, 2023) Traditional Korean cuisine Kimchi Banchan Joseon royal cuisine Korean food history The Columbian Exchange Ural-Altaic language theory Listen & Follow Website: https://darksideofseoul.com Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dark-side-of-seoul-podcast/id1504623984 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1lZBXNX79kwH2NXcJWNcb8 Patreon: https://patreon.com/darksideofseoul YouTube: https://youtube.com/@darksideofseoul Instagram: https://instagram.com/darksideofseoul Facebook: https://facebook.com/darksideofseoul Contact: info@darksideofseoul.com About The Dark Side of Seoul The Dark Side of Seoul explores Korea's darker history, folklore, true crime, urban legends, supernatural traditions, forgotten places, and the cultural stories that don't usually appear in guidebooks. New episodes include deep historical dives alongside our "Fun Sized" discussions of current events, controversies, and unusual aspects of life in Korea.   Notes Science and philosophy of Korea traditional foods (K-food) Dae Young Kwon,  Kim Soon-Hee,  Kyung Rhan Chung,  James W. Daily &  Sunmin Park    https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42779-023-00194-3 Introduction Why This Paper Matters On the surface, this looks like an ordinary academic paper. It was published in 2023 in the Journal of Ethnic Foods, an open-access journal published by BioMed Central. It has multiple authors, references dozens of sources, and presents itself as a scientific examination of Korean food history and philosophy. But once you start reading it closely, something becomes obvious. The paper repeatedly makes sweeping historical, linguistic, archaeological, genetic, and anthropological claims that either go well beyond the available evidence or directly contradict mainstream scholarship. Rather than weighing competing explanations, it almost always arrives at the same conclusion: Korean food is uniquely independent, uniquely original, and fundamentally separate from neighboring cultures. That is what makes this paper interesting. Not because it's simply "wrong." Plenty of academic papers contain mistakes. It's interesting because it reflects a broader pattern that occasionally appears in Korean public discourse, media, and even academia: the desire to demonstrate Korean exceptionalism through scientific language. The Bigger Pattern Much of the paper revolves around proving things don't merely exist in Korea. They must be: older than everyone else's more original than everyone else's scientifically superior impossible to have borrowed from neighboring cultures It's the same pattern behind claims that: Korean is uniquely logical. Korean relationships are deeper because of speech levels. Metal chopsticks create better surgeons. Koreans excel at archery because of chopsticks. Kimchi predates chili peppers. Everything distinctive must have originated in Korea. Some of these are harmless internet folklore. Others find their way into books, museums, newspapers, documentaries, and occasionally academic publications. Why This Happens None of this appeared in a vacuum. Modern Korea emerged from colonization, war, dictatorship, and decades of being culturally overshadowed by larger neighbors. Building a strong national identity was an understandable project. The problem comes when pride begins driving the research instead of the research informing the pride. Good scholarship starts with evidence and follows wherever it leads. Nationalistic scholarship often starts with the conclusion and works backwards. That doesn't make every conclusion false. It does make readers ask a very different question: "Is this trying to discover the truth?" Or "Is this trying to prove something?" This paper often feels like the latter. 1. The Authors Set Themselves Up as the Correctors of History Page 1 "Nevertheless, until now, the history of food on the Korean Peninsula has been mainly studied by history scholars who can read Chinese characters rather than by natural scientists, resulting in errors and distortions in our understanding of the identity, history, and originality of Korean food. In this paper, we aim to correct these errors and distortions and to present scientifically validated research... Furthermore, we also aim to provide scientific truths..." Problems The paper begins by declaring that historians have distorted Korean food history while positioning the authors as the ones who possess the "scientific truths." Throughout the paper they continue using historical texts whenever those texts support their conclusions while dismissing them when they do not. It's an unusual way to frame an academic paper. Most research begins with questions, not with a declaration that previous scholarship is fundamentally wrong. 2. Korea Developed in Isolation Page 2 "The early Korean population developed their characteristic foods in relative isolation from other regions of Asia due to the oceans and rugged mountains surrounding the country. Therefore, we must be very careful when discussing the culture and history of Korean food through Chinese books... Korea has historically been geographically isolated... it was also so historically resistant to outside influences and interactions that it was commonly called the 'Hermit Kingdom.'" Problems This compresses thousands of years of Korean history into an isolation narrative. Korea maintained continuous contact with China, Japan, Jurchens, Mongols, and others through diplomacy, trade, religion, migration, and warfare. "Hermit Kingdom" describes a particular period of late Joseon diplomacy, not Korea's entire historical development. 3. Banchan Exists Nowhere Else Page 2 "Another distinctive feature of Korean cuisine is the unique presentation of bap and banchan... We call this banchan culture, and it is a food culture that does not exist in any other country in the world." Problems Korea's version is distinctive. The concept of eating a staple grain with multiple shared side dishes exists throughout East and Southeast Asia. The paper turns a distinctive tradition into an absolute claim. 4. Korea Had No Sugar or Oil Pages 2-3 "Not only do we have a different ethnic root than China, but we also do not have oil or sugar as elements to make food delicious agriculturally." ... "In an environment where livestock and dairy products did not exist, where sugar to provide a sweet taste was unavailable, and where there was no oil to enhance the flavor..." Problems Traditional Korean cooking uses sesame oil, perilla oil, honey, rice syrup (조청), and malt syrup. Traditional desserts like yakgwa depend on both oil and sweeteners. The paper repeatedly describes Korea as lacking ingredients that are well documented in Korean culinary history. 5. Tasteless Vegetables Are the Soul of Korean Food Page 3 "As with all vegetables and herbs, they have less flavor when they do not contain salt, fat, or protein. The essence of Korean cuisine lies in the spirit and wisdom of Korean ancestors on how to eat these tasteless vegetables deliciously, which can be said to be the soul of Korean food." Problems This is philosophy rather than food science. It's a perfectly reasonable cultural reflection. It should not be presented as scientific evidence. 6. Pottery Alone Proves Independent Food Culture Page 4 "The earthenware vessels found in Korea during the ancient times were... mostly different from that of China. From this alone, we can tell that the food culture of ancient times in Korea was independently formed from that of China." Problems "From this alone" is an enormous leap. Archaeologists do not infer entire culinary traditions from pottery styles alone. Different pottery demonstrates different pottery. 7. Korean and Chinese Are Completely Different Peoples Pages 4-5 "The Korean and Chinese peoples are ethnologically different nations." ... "Korea has continued to develop independently thereby developing and preserving its own culture and history without being culturally absorbed by the country of China." Problems Korean civilization certainly developed its own identity. But history also documents centuries of exchange in religion, administration, philosophy, literature, technology and cuisine. The paper repeatedly frames influence as something that either happened completely or not at all. 8. Korean Is Related to Hungarian and Finnish Page 5 "Korean is classified as Ural-Altaic (Trans-Eurasian), which is completely different from the Chinese language system (India-Europe). Korean belongs to the same linguistic family as Manchurian, Mongolian, Japanese, Hungarian, and Finnish." Problems Chinese is not Indo-European. The Ural-Altaic hypothesis has largely been abandoned by historical linguists. This entire linguistic discussion has little bearing on culinary history. 9. Ancient DNA Proves Korean Food Didn't Come from China Pages 5-6 "The rapid decline in male genetic diversity... suggests that during the war, the invaders slaughtered men and humiliated women." ... "Therefore, it is a false claim that Korean food came from either China or Japan through men's communication. Wars have not advanced the development of food. Had mothers' languages not changed after the war, their food would not have changed either." Problems This is probably the biggest logical leap in the paper. Population genetics cannot determine where recipes originated. The authors move directly from Bronze Age Y-chromosome bottlenecks to twentieth-century arguments about Korean cuisine. 10. Korea Had No Livestock, Dairy, Sugar or Oil Page 6 "In an environment where livestock and dairy products did not exist... where sugar... was unavailable... and where there was no oil to enhance the flavor..." Problems This repeats and expands an earlier claim. Historically Korea had livestock. It had oils. It had traditional sweeteners. The statement is presented far more absolutely than the historical record supports. 11. Korean Food Is Never Spicy Page 16 "Foreigners who do not understand this come to believe that Korean food is very spicy. In reality, authentic Korean food is never hot because chili pepper varieties cultivated in Korea are not hot." Problems Korean peppers are generally milder than many Southeast Asian varieties. That does not make Korean food "never hot." This swings from one extreme myth to the opposite extreme. 12. Royal Court Cuisine Isn't Korean Page 16 "Royal court cuisine and jongka cuisine are not Korean food; they are based on Chinese food." Problems One of the paper's most extraordinary conclusions. Royal cuisine developed inside Korean courts, by Korean cooks, over centuries. Cultural influence does not erase cultural identity. 13. The Paper Contradicts Itself About Foreign Influence Pages 16-17 The paper argues wars and foreign influence did not shape Korean food. Then later it writes: "Inexpensive wheat flour from the USA replaced the more expensive rice with flour, which has greatly contributed to the development of pajeon, tteokbokki, and kuksu." Problems This is exactly the kind of foreign influence the paper spends earlier chapters minimizing. It acknowledges that American food aid transformed important Korean dishes after the Korean War. Structural Problems Heavy self-citation Many of the paper's key citations are previous publications by the lead author. The article often cites earlier books and papers by Kwon to support Kwon's current arguments. Personal communications as evidence One of the key claims about ancient Korean chili peppers relies on an unpublished personal communication rather than peer-reviewed evidence. Conclusions precede the evidence Throughout the paper, the conclusion remains remarkably consistent: Korean food is uniquely independent. Korean food is uniquely original. Korean food is uniquely healthy. Korean food is fundamentally separate from neighboring cuisines. The evidence is then selected and interpreted to support those conclusions. Closing Korean cuisine is extraordinary. It doesn't need exaggerated origin stories. It doesn't become less Korean because chili peppers came from the Americas. It doesn't become less Korean because Buddhism came through China. It doesn't become less Korean because dumplings arrived with the Mongols. Every great cuisine is built through centuries of borrowing, adapting, refining, and making ideas its own. Ironically, that's exactly what makes Korean food so interesting. The strongest case for Korean cuisine isn't that it developed in complete isolation. It's that Korea took influences from around the world and transformed them into something unmistakably Korean. That story is both more believable and far more impressive.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Send us Fan Mail After 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 when researching ghost encounters, supernatural folklore, shamanism, and alleged hauntings. They explore pareidolia, memorates, social media ghost hunters, fraudulent psychics, and why cultural traditions should never be treated as automatic evidence for the supernatural. Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Support the show 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 Pitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/ Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Music by Soraksan Top tier Patrons Angel Earl Joel Bonomini Devon Hiphner Gabi Palomino Steve Marsh Eva Sikora Ron Chang Mackenzie Moore Hunter Winter Cecilia Löfgren Dumas Josephine Rydberg Devin Buchanan Ashley Wright George Irion Facebook Page | Instagram Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Send us Fan MailSouth 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 National Election Commission's explanation is both accurate and embarrassing, and why "we ran out of paper" is such a uniquely devastating failure for an institution that was already under scrutiny. They also take a longer look at Korea's post-1987 democratic history, a list of election fiascos that includes vote-buying rice bags, NIS agents running smear campaigns online, COVID ballot chaos, and a 2022 election where the main controversy was that ballots were being transported in plastic baskets you'd buy at Daiso.Korea's democracy is real. It's also messy, loudly contested, and occasionally embarrassing. This episode is about both of those things being true at the same time. Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin our Patreon to get more stuffhttps://patreon.com/darksideofseoulBook a tour of The Dark Side of Seoul Ghost Walk at https://darksideofseoul.comPitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/CreditsProduced by Joe McPherson and Shawn MorrisseyMusic by SoraksanTop tier PatronsAngel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge IrionFacebook Page | Instagram

Send us Fan MailA 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 the vehicle had allegedly been parked improperly.The result: roughly 20 million won out of pocket, business disruption, and another example of how small legal technicalities in Korea can suddenly become life-changing disasters. Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin our Patreon to get more stuffhttps://patreon.com/darksideofseoulBook a tour of The Dark Side of Seoul Ghost Walk at https://darksideofseoul.comPitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/CreditsProduced by Joe McPherson and Shawn MorrisseyMusic by SoraksanTop tier PatronsAngel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge IrionFacebook Page | Instagram

Send us Fan MailAI 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 history with phishing and cybercrime. They also look at how AI is rapidly changing the future of identity theft and why “just don't show your fingertips” might soon become normal online safety advice. Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin our Patreon to get more stuffhttps://patreon.com/darksideofseoulBook a tour of The Dark Side of Seoul Ghost Walk at https://darksideofseoul.comPitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/CreditsProduced by Joe McPherson and Shawn MorrisseyMusic by SoraksanTop tier PatronsAngel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge IrionFacebook Page | Instagram

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 of Seoul Street Studios. Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin our Patreon to get more stuffhttps://patreon.com/darksideofseoulBook a tour of The Dark Side of Seoul Ghost Walk at https://darksideofseoul.comPitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/CreditsProduced by Joe McPherson and Shawn MorrisseyMusic by SoraksanTop tier PatronsAngel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge IrionFacebook Page | Instagram

Send us Fan MailFlashing 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.”Yes. Really. Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin our Patreon to get more stuffhttps://patreon.com/darksideofseoulBook a tour of The Dark Side of Seoul Ghost Walk at https://darksideofseoul.comPitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/CreditsProduced by Joe McPherson and Shawn MorrisseyMusic by SoraksanTop tier PatronsAngel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge IrionFacebook Page | Instagram

Send us Fan MailIsang 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, identity, and power. Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin our Patreon to get more stuffhttps://patreon.com/darksideofseoulBook a tour of The Dark Side of Seoul Ghost Walk at https://darksideofseoul.comPitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/CreditsProduced by Joe McPherson and Shawn MorrisseyMusic by SoraksanTop tier PatronsAngel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge IrionFacebook Page | Instagram

Send us Fan MailWe'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 coming. Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin our Patreon to get more stuffhttps://patreon.com/darksideofseoulBook a tour of The Dark Side of Seoul Ghost Walk at https://darksideofseoul.comPitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/CreditsProduced by Joe McPherson and Shawn MorrisseyMusic by SoraksanTop tier PatronsAngel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge IrionFacebook Page | Instagram

Send us Fan MailCherry 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 appears every spring to remind people of that history.From nationalist myths to modern science, this is a story about how something as simple as a flower can carry layers of meaning. Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin our Patreon to get more stuffhttps://patreon.com/darksideofseoulBook a tour of The Dark Side of Seoul Ghost Walk at https://darksideofseoul.comPitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/CreditsProduced by Joe McPherson and Shawn MorrisseyMusic by SoraksanTop tier PatronsAngel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge IrionFacebook Page | Instagram

Send us Fan MailWe'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 for centuries, and why Hangul matters so much today. We also look at why this debate keeps coming back—and whether the current push for change is really about culture, or something else.Join us as we unpack a small change with surprisingly big implications. Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin our Patreon to get more stuffhttps://patreon.com/darksideofseoulBook a tour of The Dark Side of Seoul Ghost Walk at https://darksideofseoul.comPitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/CreditsProduced by Joe McPherson and Shawn MorrisseyMusic by SoraksanTop tier PatronsAngel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge IrionFacebook Page | Instagram

Send us Fan MailThis 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 into movies, comedians, and the kinds of places in Korea that don't show up in guidebooks.A relaxed episode, but with plenty of opinions. Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin our Patreon to get more stuffhttps://patreon.com/darksideofseoulBook a tour of The Dark Side of Seoul Ghost Walk at https://darksideofseoul.comPitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/CreditsProduced by Joe McPherson and Shawn MorrisseyMusic by SoraksanTop tier PatronsAngel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge IrionFacebook Page | Instagram

Send a textPet ownership in Korea is growing rapidly, but what happens when a beloved animal dies?In this episode, Joe and Shawn explore the surprising and often emotional world of pet funerals in Korea. From strict burial laws that classify animal remains as “waste” to private cremation services that hold full memorial ceremonies, the reality of pet death reveals an unusual intersection of law, culture, and changing attitudes toward animals.Shawn shares personal experiences with cremating two of his pets and explains why pets almost never appear in Korean cemeteries, despite their growing role as family members. The episode also explores pet ownership trends, historical attitudes toward cats, and the ongoing debate about whether pets should be allowed to rest beside their humans.As Korea's pet culture continues to expand, pressure is building to rethink how the country treats animals in death as well as life. Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin 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 Pitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/ Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Music by Soraksan Top tier Patrons Angel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge Irion Facebook Page | Instagram

Send a textA minor concert rule violation at a Day6 show in Kuala Lumpur ignites a much larger confrontation between Southeast Asian K-pop fans, known online as SEAblings, and Korean netizens, or K-netz.What began as frustration over DSLR camera use quickly escalated into accusations of racism, ingratitude, and cultural superiority. In this episode, Joe and Shawn explore what this clash reveals about Korean hierarchy, Confucian social order, ethnic “pure blood” nationalism, development pride, and the uneasy place of Southeast Asia within Korea's mental map of the world.From migrant labor and marriage migration to multicultural children and the politics of gratitude, this episode examines how fandom became a mirror reflecting deeper regional tensions. Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin 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 Pitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/ Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Music by Soraksan Top tier Patrons Angel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge Irion Facebook Page | Instagram

Send us a textWinter is cemetery season in Korea.With the grass dead, snakes gone, and sightlines open, this is when Korea's hillside cemeteries quietly reveal their stories. In this episode, Joe and Shawn talk about what they see every year while wandering through Korean burial grounds: traditional mounds and stone guardians, Christian symbols mixed with Confucian motifs, rare Western-style graves, pet burials, collective graves, and the occasional unsettling sign of vandalism.This isn't a guide to death rituals. It's an exploration of how memory, belief, class, and modern pressure quietly reshape how Koreans remember the dead. Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin 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 Pitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/ Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Music by Soraksan Top tier Patrons Angel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge Irion Facebook Page | Instagram

Send us a textSouth Korea became a super-aged society in 2025. The effects are showing up everywhere, but nowhere more visibly than on the roads.In this episode, Joe and Shawn talk about the sharp rise in accidents involving elderly drivers, including several deadly incidents in Seoul and beyond. They dig into the numbers, the government's largely ineffective license return programs, and why simply telling seniors to stop driving ignores deeper issues like poverty, work necessity, and isolation.This is not a blame episode. It's about how Korea went from automatic respect for elders to open ageism, and how fear-driven policy risks making the problem worse instead of safer. Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin 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 Pitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/ Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Music by Soraksan Top tier Patrons Angel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge Irion Facebook Page | Instagram

Send us a textOur 300th episode!Pojangmacha didn't disappear by accident.In Part 2 of Where Have All the Soju Tents Gone, Joe and Shawn trace how Seoul's soju tents went from survival spaces to cultural nuisances, then to nostalgic props. From Olympic-era crackdowns and hired enforcers to violent evictions, gentrification, and sanitized “sensibility pocha streets,” this episode looks at how modernization erased a vital part of everyday life.This isn't a story about food. It's about power, class, gender, and who gets to stay visible in a global city. Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin 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 Pitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/ Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Music by Soraksan Top tier Patrons Angel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge Irion Facebook Page | Instagram

Send us a textThere is no Waffle House in Korea.For decades, the pojangmacha was the last line of defense against going home hungry, broke, or blackout drunk. It was cheap, social, messy, and human. And then it slowly disappeared.In Part 1 of Where Have All the Soju Tents Gone, we trace the origins of the pojangmacha from Japanese yatai and Joseon-era taverns to its explosion after the Korean War. We talk about why these tents mattered, who ran them, what people ate there, and why they became one of the most important informal social spaces in modern Korean history.This is not just a story about street food dying. It is a story about how Seoul systematically removed the spaces that ordinary people built for themselves. Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin 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 Pitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/ Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Music by Soraksan Top tier Patrons Angel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge Irion Facebook Page | Instagram

Send us a textChristmas is often framed as a moment of peace, forgiveness, and reflection. But in Korean history, Christmas Eve has repeatedly been chosen for violence, punishment, and erasure.In Part 2 of Christmas Nightmares, we examine three chilling cases tied to the holiday. We begin with the Seokdal-ri Massacre of 1949, when South Korean soldiers burned a mountain village and executed dozens of civilians on Christmas Eve — a crime buried by the state for decades. We then move to the execution of Park Heung-suk, remembered as “Mudeungsan Tarzan,” hanged on Christmas Eve in 1980 after a violent confrontation born from forced eviction and extreme poverty. Finally, we revisit the Daejeon bank robbery and murder of 2001, a Christmas-season killing that remained unsolved for over twenty years.These stories expose how Christmas, rather than symbolizing mercy, was repeatedly used as a moment of finality — when the state acted, and history tried to move on. Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin 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 Pitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/ Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Music by Soraksan Top tier Patrons Angel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge Irion Facebook Page | Instagram

Send us a textChristmas is supposed to be a time of warmth, safety, and reunion. But history doesn't always cooperate.In Part 1 of our two-part Christmas Nightmares series, we explore some of Korea's darkest stories tied to the holiday season. We begin with the Heungnam Evacuation of 1950, remembered as the Miracle of Christmas, when nearly 100,000 refugees escaped North Korea by sea. But behind the miracle were impossible choices, brutal exclusions, and families torn apart in the freezing cold.From there, we move to modern tragedies. A massive Christmas Eve pile-up on the Cheonan–Nonsan Expressway that turned fog and black ice into chaos. A chilling Christmas Day murder rooted in online obsession and jealousy. And a violent armed robbery that shattered the illusion of holiday safety.These are stories where celebration collided with fear, and survival mattered more than tradition. Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin 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 Pitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/ Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Music by Soraksan Top tier Patrons Angel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge Irion Facebook Page | Instagram

Send us a textShawn and Joe dig into Korea's crumbling cybersecurity myth and the Coupang leak that exposed almost every user in the country. Korea sells itself as an IT powerhouse, but behind the fiber optics sit outdated servers, neglected government systems, weak regulations and a corporate culture that treats security like a box to check.From the SK Telecom and Lotte Card breaches to the government's own embarrassing hacks, the episode breaks down why Korea keeps getting hit, why companies keep failing upward and how a single leak at Coupang nearly shut down parts of the small business economy. Plus, a side tour through xenophobic blame games, delivery driver exploitation and the weird reality that the country with the fastest internet once clung to ActiveX like a family heirloom. Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin 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 Pitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/ Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Music by Soraksan Top tier Patrons Angel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge Irion Facebook Page | Instagram

Send us a textShawn and Joe trade war stories from the front lines of Seoul's tour scene. Influencers melting down in costume, drunk guests apologizing between vomit breaks, bathroom disappearances, oddball actors who steal the show, couples who arrive mid-argument, and reviews born from pure misunderstanding.The episode digs into what really derails a tour, how guides survive it, and why some guests treat history like fan fiction. Add a little wildlife drama, a clown fight, a Kenny G busker and a heron named Bob, and you get a solid snapshot of what it means to guide people through this city. It is messy, funny, awkward, exhausting and sometimes unexpectedly sweet. Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin 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 Pitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/ Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Music by Soraksan Top tier Patrons Angel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge Irion Facebook Page | Instagram

Send us a textThis is a blog post I (Joe) wrote on ZenKimchi.com in 2012 about the extreme lengths expats in Korea would go to for creating Thanksgiving in their adopted country. I exhume this post every year to remind myself and others that giving thanks goes beyond turkey, Macy's parades, and football. Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin 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 Pitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/ Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Music by Soraksan Top tier Patrons Angel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge Irion Facebook Page | Instagram

Send us a textKorea's modern history has plenty of villains, but Hanahoe might be the most quietly terrifying. This was the private club of military officers that spent decades pulling strings behind the scenes and building the foundation for South Korea's authoritarian era. Chun Doo hwan and Roh Tae woo did not just show up and grab power. They were groomed for it inside this secret alumni club of Air Force cadets who treated the nation like their future inheritance.We get into the shadow world of coups, purges, favoritism, region based politics and the strange afterlife of Hanahoe's legacy in Korean society. If you want to understand why Korean democracy took so long to take root, this is the rot at the center. Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin 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 Pitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/ Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Music by Soraksan Top tier Patrons Angel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge Irion Facebook Page | Instagram

Send us a textSpecial Guest: Ron ChangKorean graves do not always stay where you put them. In this episode, Ron Chang joins us to talk about what it is really like to exhume and relocate family graves in Korea. Ron recently moved the graves of his grandmother and grandfather from a remote mountain cemetery in Yangju to the special North Korean heritage cemetery near Paju.We talk about Korean exhumation culture, pungsu, why graves get moved, and what actually happens on the day a burial mound is opened. Ron walks us through the whole thing: the paperwork, the tools, the shock of what you find underground, and the strange mix of duty, sadness, sweat and family logistics that define Korean memorial life.If you have ever wondered how Korea handles the dead, this is your backstage pass. Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin 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 Pitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/ Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Music by Soraksan Top tier Patrons Angel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge Irion Facebook Page | Instagram

Send us a textWhen a Dutch sailor shipwrecked on Jeju in 1627, he thought he'd been captured by cannibals. Instead, he became Korea's first Westerner—and the first sign of change that would shake Joseon to its core.This episode traces the arrival of Western guns, God, and ideas—from Jan Janse de Weltevree to the Catholic persecutions of 1801—as Korea's Confucian order faces its first real collision with the West.  Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin 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 Pitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/ Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Music by Soraksan Top tier Patrons Angel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge Irion Facebook Page | Instagram

Send us a textThe Korean military is haunted — literally and culturally. Soldiers whisper about phantom footsteps, cold spots inside fences, and radio calls from the dead. In this episode, we look at the legends that thrive in Korea's barracks: the White-Clad Old Man, the Combat Boot Ghost, the Ammunition Depot Spirits, and the Fog Ghost along the DMZ.We also unpack why these stories endure. Is it trauma made visible? Shared imagination? Or proof that some soldiers never stopped serving?Media recommendationsR-PointDog SoldiersDead of Night (‘74)The Living & the Dead (‘07)The Others (kinda) Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin 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 Pitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/ Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Music by Soraksan Top tier Patrons Angel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge Irion Facebook Page | Instagram

Send us a textHere it is! Finally! Shawn Morrissey's much anticipated book of Korean supernatural encounters is released. We ask him your questions. Will he answer them?  Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin 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 Pitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/ Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Music by Soraksan Top tier Patrons Angel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge Irion Facebook Page | Instagram

Send us a textKorean cities love English slogans, but rarely get them right. From “Hi Seoul” to “Busan is Good,” we explore how Korea's branding obsession created a national genre of delightful linguistic chaos. Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin 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 Pitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/ Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Music by Soraksan Top tier Patrons Angel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge Irion Facebook Page | Instagram

Send us a textKing Jeongjo inherited a kingdom broken by madness, murder, and factional greed. In this episode, we look at how the grandson of Yeongjo—and son of the doomed Prince Sado—tried to rebuild the dynasty. From political purges and paranoid advisors to free-market experiments and the rise of new factions, Jeongjo's reign was a fight to heal a wounded court without losing his crown.Starting at just $5/month, you can get a lot of extra content, including the following:Early episodesVideo podcastsBehind-the-scenes pre-ambles"Weird Tales from Korean Lore" - Folktales and ghost stories from folklorist Shawn Morrissey"Expats of the Wild East" - Stories of the oddest characters to land on Korea's tarmacs Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin 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 Pitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/ Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Music by Soraksan Top tier Patrons Angel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge Irion Facebook Page | Instagram

Send us a textKidnapping and abduction attempts are on the rise in Korea, with more than nine cases per week. We break down the numbers, the shocking cases from Seoul to Jeju, and the weak court responses that leave parents furious. From lures near schools to drug-laced drinks, we look at why this trend is growing and how authorities and families are responding. Starting at just $5/month, you can get a lot of extra content, including the following:Early episodesVideo podcastsBehind-the-scenes pre-ambles"Weird Tales from Korean Lore" - Folktales and ghost stories from folklorist Shawn Morrissey"Expats of the Wild East" - Stories of the oddest characters to land on Korea's tarmacs Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin 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 Pitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/ Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Music by Soraksan Top tier Patrons Angel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge Irion Facebook Page | Instagram

Send us a text We tour Korea's “cursed landmarks,” from the Blue House to Jongno Tower, the National Assembly, Cheonggyecheon, and beyond. These sites carry dark folklore, bad feng shui, ghost stories, and political baggage. What makes a landmark “cursed,” and why do Koreans still talk about them? Starting at just $5/month, you can get a lot of extra content, including the following:Early episodesVideo podcastsBehind-the-scenes pre-ambles"Weird Tales from Korean Lore" - Folktales and ghost stories from folklorist Shawn Morrissey"Expats of the Wild East" - Stories of the oddest characters to land on Korea's tarmacs Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin 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 Pitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/ Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Music by Soraksan Top tier Patrons Angel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge Irion Facebook Page | Instagram

Send us a text Our follow-up to Cruel Summer shows Korea's August crimes were just as horrific. A shaman murdered her niece in a ritual. Couples turned their homes into crime scenes. Babies were abandoned for cash. Convenience store clerks were stabbed for no reason. This summer didn't cool down. It only got darker. https://patreon.com/darksideofseoulTop Tier PatronsAngel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMitchy BrewerHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasAshley WrightGeorge IrionKwang Ja MoonEdward BradfordBoram YoonChad Struhs Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin 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 Pitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/ Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Music by Soraksan Top tier Patrons Angel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge Irion Facebook Page | Instagram

Send us a textSummer in Korea sucks. This was a record-breaking year for temps. Floods were awful again. Crime was pretty damn bad, too. Big one, little details: headless body found in Taebaeksan; wearing winter clothing - so been there a while.https://patreon.com/darksideofseoulTop Tier PatronsAngel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMitchy BrewerHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasAshley WrightGeorge IrionKwang Ja MoonEdward BradfordBoram YoonChad Struhs Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin 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 Pitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/ Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Music by Soraksan Top tier Patrons Angel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge Irion Facebook Page | Instagram

Send us a textK-Pop Demon Hunters looks flashy on the surface, but it hides a lot of Korean folklore inside the glitter. We talk about mudang rituals, dokkaebi, tiger and magpie tricksters, and why the movie is both a tribute to K-Pop and a satire of idol culture.https://patreon.com/darksideofseoulTop Tier PatronsAngel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMitchy BrewerHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasAshley WrightGeorge IrionKwang Ja MoonEdward BradfordBoram YoonChad Struhs Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin 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 Pitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/ Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Music by Soraksan Top tier Patrons Angel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge Irion Facebook Page | Instagram

Send us a textWe close out Spooky Summer with a set of chilling Korean ghost stories and urban legends. Joe shares tales of the Wailing Woman, the Red-Hatted Ghosts, and the eerie story of “Visiting the Grandparents.” Shawn brings first-hand accounts from interviews, from couples plagued by unseen forces to political hauntings at City Hall. A mix of folklore, rumor, and lived experience rounds out the series. https://patreon.com/darksideofseoulTop Tier PatronsAngel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMitchy BrewerHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasAshley WrightGeorge IrionKwang Ja MoonEdward BradfordBoram YoonChad Struhs Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin 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 Pitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/ Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Music by Soraksan Top tier Patrons Angel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge Irion Facebook Page | Instagram

Send us a textA chill night-walk through Korea's darker folklore: we bring together old graves, cursed bills, haunted portraits, and digital terrors. Hear how a man's midnight pit stop frees a trapped virgin ghost in 1930s Jeonju, why a gruesome urban legend is said to hide inside Korean currency, and how a painting and an elevator can quietly rewrite your life. Then we go online — the Red Room and the infamous cursed number remind you that modern technology has its own ways of keeping nightmares alive. Quiet your lights and listen close; these stories don't stay polite at the edges of the city.https://patreon.com/darksideofseoulTop Tier PatronsAngel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMitchy BrewerHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasAshley WrightGeorge IrionKwang Ja MoonEdward BradfordBoram YoonChad Struhs Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin 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 Pitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/ Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Music by Soraksan Top tier Patrons Angel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge Irion Facebook Page | Instagram

Send us a textShawn and Joe guide you through 11 of Seoul's eeriest locations—from the pressure-draining crossroads at Sejong Intersection to the ginkgo-guarded spirits of Marronnier Park. Along the way you'll encounter singing servants of a Japanese collaborator, phantom beggars at Jongmyo Park, wailing soldiers outside the university morgue, and more. Get your map ready, because these spots are the stuff of nightmares.https://patreon.com/darksideofseoulTop Tier PatronsAngel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMitchy BrewerHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasAshley WrightGeorge IrionKwang Ja MoonEdward BradfordBoram YoonChad Struhs Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin 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 Pitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/ Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Music by Soraksan Top tier Patrons Angel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge Irion Facebook Page | Instagram

Send us a textTurn off the lights. Slip on your headphones. Tonight's Spooky Summer episode takes you to the edge of your seat with five skin-crawling tales of the unexplained:A lone soldier buried a war widow's baby by moonlight—then dared to steal her ransom. What he unearthed under the old tree was far more terrifying than combat.Three boys discover a mirror that doesn't reflect—and a presence that still watches them.A welding student glances at the arc and loses more than his sight.A widower mourns three wives gone in their sleep—and the reason he won't let himself be happy.A newlywed's dream warns her not to answer the door…yet she can't resist.Prepare for goosebumps, sudden silences, and the kind of dread only true-story horror can deliver. Joe and Shawn are your guides through the darkness—are you brave enough to listen?https://patreon.com/darksideofseoulTop Tier PatronsAngel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMitchy BrewerHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasAshley WrightGeorge IrionKwang Ja MoonEdward BradfordBoram YoonChad Struhs Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin 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 Pitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/ Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Music by Soraksan Top tier Patrons Angel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge Irion Facebook Page | Instagram

Send us a textReady to pucker up from sheer creepiness? Ditch the cheery summer playlists and crank your earbuds—these tales will haunt your dreams. From phantom hands blocking elevator doors to severed pianist fingers humping keys in a jar, we've rounded up the nastiest, most head-scratching Korean urban legends your average tourist guide sniffs at. Think you can handle a blood-red diary dictating murder, dual assassins in black and white, or a grandmother's angry spirit restless over an empty grave? Spoiler: you can't. Tune in, but don't say we didn't warn you when you're sleeping with the lights on tonight. https://patreon.com/darksideofseoulTop Tier PatronsAngel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMitchy BrewerHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasAshley WrightGeorge IrionKwang Ja MoonEdward BradfordBoram YoonChad Struhs Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin 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 Pitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/ Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Music by Soraksan Top tier Patrons Angel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge Irion Facebook Page | Instagram

Send us a textShawn and Joe take you on a fog-shrouded drive down Paju's Jayuro Highway to hunt the road's most bone-chilling legends: the Woman in Sunglasses, blood-oozing meat packages, and the cursed box no driver wants to touch. They sift witness accounts from freaked-out truckers and local ghost hunters to figure out whether these tales are urban myth or something far more sinister.https://patreon.com/darksideofseoulTop Tier PatronsAngel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMitchy BrewerHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasAshley WrightGeorge IrionKwang Ja MoonEdward BradfordBoram YoonChad Struhs Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin 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 Pitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/ Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Music by Soraksan Top tier Patrons Angel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge Irion Facebook Page | Instagram

Send us a textWe kick of Spooky Chills Summer 2025 with three fresh stories and more.Brace yourselves for three spine-tinglers in Spooky Chilly Summer Part 7: • The Hong Kong Grandma's deadly Q&A—answer wrong, and you're never seen again • The Forest Chair that traps souls in a vision of their own funeral • The Subway Ghost who still asks, “Can you take me home?”Shawn and Joe also unveil their top haunted tourist sites: moonlit Gyeongbokgung Palace tours, Seodaemun Prison at dusk, and fog-choked cemeteries in Bukchon Hanok Village.Subscribe, ring the bell, and share your own summer scare in the comments. Support us on Patreon for bonus location guides and behind-the-scenes chills.https://patreon.com/darksideofseoulTop Tier PatronsAngel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMitchy BrewerHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasAshley WrightGeorge IrionKwang Ja MoonEdward BradfordBoram YoonChad Struhs Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin 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 Pitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/ Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Music by Soraksan Top tier Patrons Angel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge Irion Facebook Page | Instagram

Send us a textPrince Sado's life reads like a gothic horror: crowned heir, but driven mad by his father's cold perfectionism, he slew palace servants and terrorized court ladies—then was locked in a rice chest by King Yeongjo, left to die over eight harrowing days. Drawing on Lady Hyegyeong's 1805 memoir, we untangle Sado's paranoia, rituals, and possible political frame-up, and reveal how his gruesome death in 1762 marked the start of the Joseon Dynasty's final unraveling.https://patreon.com/darksideofseoulTop Tier PatronsAngel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMitchy BrewerHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasAshley WrightGeorge IrionKwang Ja MoonEdward BradfordBoram YoonChad Struhs Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin 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 Pitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/ Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Music by Soraksan Top tier Patrons Angel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge Irion Facebook Page | Instagram

Send us a textPOSCO helped forge modern South Korea, but at what cost? We trace the company's origins under Park Chung-hee's grand steel plan, its “Right-Turn Spirit” cult of willpower, and its risky “backward” build strategy. Then we peel back the polish to expose repeated fatal accidents, toxic pollution, sexual assault cover-ups, and corrosive “POSCO mentality” boondoggles—from F1 circuits to Olympic bids. Steel may be POSCO's core product, but abuse and arrogance remain its absolute specialty.https://patreon.com/darksideofseoulTop Tier PatronsAngel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMitchy BrewerHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasAshley WrightGeorge IrionKwang Ja MoonEdward BradfordBoram YoonChad Struhs Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin 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 Pitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/ Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Music by Soraksan Top tier Patrons Angel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge Irion Facebook Page | Instagram

Send us a text Seventy-five years after the Korean War began, North Korea still defines its identity by the conflict. NK News Podcast host Jacco Zwetsloot explains how Pyongyang marks the anniversary, what myths it perpetuates about victory over the U.S., and which historical flashpoints—from land reforms to the nuclear program—have shaped Kim Il Sung's successor states. We'll also hear Jacco's takes on everyday life under sanctions, the regime's strategic pivots today, and where DPRK might head next. https://patreon.com/darksideofseoulTop Tier PatronsAngel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMitchy BrewerHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasAshley WrightGeorge IrionKwang Ja MoonEdward BradfordBoram YoonChad Struhs Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin 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 Pitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/ Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Music by Soraksan Top tier Patrons Angel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge Irion Facebook Page | Instagram

Send us a textFeaturing Thomas Duvernay, PhD | Sinmiyangyo: The 1871 Conflict Between the United States and KoreaWhen American warships steamed into Korean waters in 1871, they ignited more than just cannon fire—they opened a chapter of resistance, cultural clash, and a legacy that still echoes today. This week, historian Dr. Thomas Duvernay guides us through the Shinmiyangyo (병인양요), the United States' ill-fated “punitive expedition” against Joseon Korea. From the diplomatic missteps that provoked conflict to the dramatic siege of Ganghwa Island's forts, we unpack why this little-known clash matters—and how it shaped Korea's cautious stance toward the West. https://patreon.com/darksideofseoulTop Tier PatronsAngel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMitchy BrewerHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasAshley WrightGeorge IrionKwang Ja MoonEdward BradfordBoram YoonChad Struhs Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin 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 Pitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/ Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Music by Soraksan Top tier Patrons Angel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge Irion Facebook Page | Instagram

Send us a textAfter the Noron and Soron slaughter of 1721–22, Joseon lay fractured. When Prince Yeoning ascended as King Yeongjo, he resolved to break the cycle. Through calculated pardons, strategic reshuffles, Confucian exhortations against in-group politics, and reforms of the powerful Ministry of Personnel and private schools, Yeongjo pursued an uneasy peace. Yet rival camps continued scheming even as he sought “Impartiality.” This episode unpacks Yeongjo's high-stakes gambit to tame factionalism and why, despite his best efforts, Joseon's scholar-officials remained as divided as ever.https://patreon.com/darksideofseoulTop Tier PatronsAngel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMitchy BrewerHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasAshley WrightGeorge IrionKwang Ja MoonEdward BradfordBoram YoonChad Struhs Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin 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 Pitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/ Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Music by Soraksan Top tier Patrons Angel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge Irion Facebook Page | Instagram

Send us a textYou may find it hard to believe that two countries as different as Korea and Canada have shared folklore. Why is that? And just what do they share? In this episode, we have a listen to a presentation on the topic made at the invitation of Seoul City and the Canadian Embassy. For the video version of this episode, watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0gUR7VdRRUhttps://patreon.com/darksideofseoulTop Tier PatronsAngel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMitchy BrewerHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasAshley WrightGeorge IrionKwang Ja MoonEdward BradfordBoram YoonChad Struhs Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin 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 Pitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/ Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Music by Soraksan Top tier Patrons Angel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge Irion Facebook Page | Instagram

Send us a text Death is inevitable, but for many expats in Korea, the cause of death remains a mystery. In this episode, we delve into the unsettling number of unexplained deaths among foreign nationals living in Korea. From recent tragedies like the case of a Bangladeshi man who collapsed on the dance floor in Hongdae to the broader statistics of migrant workers and their untimely deaths, we explore the lack of answers, the lack of government response, and the issues surrounding the treatment of migrant workers in Korea. Why are so many expat deaths unexplained? And why does the government seem to ignore the issue, especially when migrant workers are so vital to the country's economy? https://patreon.com/darksideofseoulTop Tier PatronsAngel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMitchy BrewerHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasAshley WrightGeorge IrionKwang Ja MoonEdward BradfordBoram YoonChad Struhs Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin 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 Pitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/ Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Music by Soraksan Top tier Patrons Angel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge Irion Facebook Page | Instagram

Send us a textKing Sukjong's reign, beginning at just 13 years old, was a turbulent time for Joseon, marked by power struggles, love affairs, and the downfall of factions. His relationship with concubine Lady Jang became the focal point of one of the most dramatic political upheavals in Joseon history. When Sukjong named Lady Jang's son as Crown Prince, it sparked a fierce backlash from the West Faction, leading to their eventual purge from the court. The episode also explores the rapid rise and fall of the South Faction, driven by internal royal feuds and Sukjong's emotional entanglements. Factionalism, love, and royal power struggles took center stage as Sukjong navigated a court deeply divided, reshaping the future of Joseon in the process.  Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin 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 Pitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/ Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Music by Soraksan Top tier Patrons Angel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge Irion Facebook Page | Instagram