In the city of Yongin in South Korea, the Korean Folk Village is developing a program featuring local folklore characters and horror attractions. A group of 12 actors dressed as ghosts, grim reapers and a nine-tailed fox interact with visitors throughout the park, Korea Herald reports.
One member of the “ghost team” is 22-year-old Kang Yoon-jung, who plays the traditional image of the ghost of an unmarried girl. According to her, performances have basic lines and scenarios, but much of the interaction depends on the reactions of particular visitors. The actress may intervene in a couple’s walk or, with parental consent, playfully scare a child or reprimand children who are arguing.
Folklore characters and improvisation
Kang’s character is part of the Gwisinsaba Ghost Play autumn festival, which the park has held since 2023. The name combines the Korean word gwisin, meaning “ghost,” and the Buddhist term saba, meaning the earthly world. Instead of a classic haunted house, it features a kind of mobile theater: performers in makeup and costumes talk to guests, take photos, joke and stage small chases.
Thirty-one-year-old Han Min-geun plays a 400-year-old grim reaper. He walks around the grounds with a microphone, takes music requests and sings for visitors. In traditional Korean beliefs, a grim reaper accompanies the deceased to the afterlife, but Han’s character, he says, came to the world of the living to entertain people.
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The actors’ preparation begins at 11:00 with makeup, which professional makeup artists spend 20 to 30 minutes applying. From noon, the participants work among guests for six hours. Performers are selected through open auditions held three or four times a year.
Combining tradition and horror
The Korean Folk Village opened in 1974 as part of a government initiative supported by private investors. The park recreates a Joseon-era settlement with traditional houses, dirt paths, folk performances and activities for visitors. It is also known as a filming location for Korean historical dramas.
Among the park’s horror programs is Salguiok, an approximately 15-minute, 400-meter route where visitors encounter evil salgui spirits. The attraction, with bloody scenery and an underground maze, is available only to visitors aged 13 and older. A separate short video about the actors’ transformation into ghosts has received more than 4 million views on the park’s Instagram.
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