The Dark Side of Seoul Podcast

In this episode, we dive into the rich symbolism of the rooster in Korean culture, or dak-ddi (닭띠). Known for their courage, honesty, and strong personality traits, roosters play a significant role in Korean mythology and folklore. From their association with the dawn and their role in warding off evil, to their connection with Dangun’s founding myth, roosters embody new beginnings and protection.

We explore legendary figures like Master Doseon, whose celestial helpers, the bicheon, worked until the rooster crowed at dawn. The I Ching links roosters to auspiciousness and sunlight, further deepening their cultural significance. In this episode, we also discuss the 2024 predictions for those born in the year of the rooster, including career opportunities, romance, and financial advice. Tune in for fascinating insights into one of Korea’s most powerful and enduring zodiac animals!

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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
Minseok Lee
Hunter Winter
Cecilia Löfgren Dumas
Josephine Rydberg
Devin Buchanan
Ashley Wright
George Irion

Missing Person Cases

The Dark Side of Seoul Podcast

05/06/20 • 54 min

https://www.missingchild.or.kr/

National Center for Missing Children

The Frog Boys
Lee Hye-jin, 10, and her friend Woo Ye-seul, 8
- Dec 25, 2007, Anyang
- Near Anyang Arts Center (CCTV 4:10 p.m.)
- 77 days later
  - Found Lee’s dismembered body on a mountain near Suwon
- Police investigation
  - Rental car records in Anyang on the day of disappearance
  - Found blood traces in the trunk of a car
- Suspect Confesses to Murder of Two Missing Girls
  - Traced to 39-year-old man, Jeong Seong-hyeon
  - Lived alone in the same neighborhood
  - Went on the run
  - Was arrested at his mother’s house in Boryeong, South Chungcheong
  - Confession
    - Tried to say they died in a car accident
    - Drank 2 bottles of soju and “inhaled bond” around 4 p.m. Dec 25
    - Left home to buy cigarettes
    - Saw the two girls, kidnapped them, assaulted them for an hour
    - After he sobered up, choked them to death and chopped up the corpses in his bathroom
    - Loaded them into his trunk and dumped them near Homaesil, Suwon and in Gunja St

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Credits

Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey

Music by Soraksan

Top tier Patrons

More Korean Spooky Tales

The Dark Side of Seoul Podcast

10/20/21 • 80 min

Huddle in your favorite blanket. We are bringing more campfire stories. Listen--if you dare!

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City of Ghosts

A supernatural neo-noir audio drama set in 1990s NYC about corruption, murder, and the things that haunt us.

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Book a tour of The Dark Side of Seoul Ghost Walk at https://darksideofseoul.com

Listener Mail! Send us a message (Instagram, Facebook, email) and we might read it on air.

Music by Soraksan

Top tier Patrons

Angel Earl
Joel Bonomini
Shaaron Cullen
Devon Hiphner
Minseok Lee
Laura Casey
Jane Hargrave
Sarah Ford
Alix Radilla
Ryan Berkebile
Ashley Rigby
Terra Suttill
Gabi Palomino

Persons of Interest

From murderers to money launderers, thieves to thugs – police officers from the...

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Join our Patreon to get more stuff

Book a tour of The Dark Side of Seoul Ghost Walk at https://darksideofseoul.com

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Credits

Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey

Music by Soraksan

Top tier Patrons

Bullying part 1: In Schools

The Dark Side of Seoul Podcast

09/29/21 • 102 min

Suicide is the number one cause of death for Korean youths. Extreme bullying infects schools and contributes to this. What do the experts say about bullying in Korean schools? Is it a new problem?

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Book a tour of The Dark Side of Seoul Ghost Walk at https://darksideofseoul.com

Listener Mail! Send us a message (Instagram, Facebook, email) and we might read it on air.

Music by Soraksan

Top tier Patrons

Angel Earl

Joel Bonomini

Shaaron Cullen

Devon Hiphner

Minseok Lee

Laura Casey
Jane Hargrave

Sarah Ford

Alix Radilla
Ryan Berkebile

Ashley Rigby

Terra Suttill

Persons of Interest

From murderers to money launderers, thieves to thugs – police officers from the...

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Join our Patreon to get more stuff

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

Korean Urban Legends 2

The Dark Side of Seoul Podcast

09/15/21 • 82 min

Why is fall jinxed for Korean celebrities? Are there ghosts from the Sampoong Department Store collapse? What prurient urban legends pass through the lips in Korea? We spread more of them in this episode.

Join our Patreon to get more stuff

Book a tour of The Dark Side of Seoul Ghost Walk at https://darksideofseoul.com

Listener Mail! Send us a message (Instagram, Facebook, email) and we might read it on air.

Music by Soraksan

Top tier Patrons

Angel Earl
Joel Bonomini
Shaaron Cullen
Devon Hiphner
Minseok Lee
Laura Casey
Jane Hargrave
Sarah Ford
Alix Radilla
Ryan Berkebile
Ashley Rigby

Persons of Interest

From murderers to money launderers, thieves to thugs – police officers from the...

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Join our Patreon to get more stuff

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

Serial Killer Yoo Young-Chul, part 3: Caught!

The Dark Side of Seoul Podcast

08/25/21 • 61 min

The police didn’t catch Yoo Young-Chul. Seoul’s criminal underground took control while the authorities bumbled. Catching him wasn’t the end of it.

Join our Patreon to get more stuff

Book a tour of The Dark Side of Seoul Ghost Walk at https://darksideofseoul.com

Listener Mail! Send us a message (Instagram, Facebook, email) and we might read it on air.

Music by Soraksan

Top tier Patrons

Angel Earl

Joel Bonomini
Shaaron Cullen
Devon Hiphner
Minseok Lee
Laura Casey
Jane Hargrave
Sarah Ford
Alix Radilla
Ryan Berkebile
Ashley Rigby
Terra Suttill

Persons of Interest

From murderers to money launderers, thieves to thugs – police officers from the...

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Join our Patreon to get more stuff

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

Stories of the Gods

The Dark Side of Seoul Podcast

07/21/21 • 69 min

“Gods die. And when they truly die they are unmourned and unremembered.” - Neil Gaiman, American Gods

Who are the Korean gods? They inhabit the mountains. They inhabit the trees. There is even a Korean deity that inhabits the living room.

Join our Patreon to get more stuff

Book a tour of The Dark Side of Seoul Ghost Walk at https://darksideofseoul.com

Listener Mail! Send us a message (Instagram, Facebook, email) and we might read it on air.

Music by Soraksan

Top tier Patrons

Angel Earl

Joel Bonomini
Jamie Staley
Shaaron Cullen
Devon Hiphner
Minseok Lee
Laura Casey
Jane Hargrave
Sarah Ford
Alix Radilla
Ryan Berkebile
Ashley Rigby

Persons of Interest

From murderers to money launderers, thieves to thugs – police officers from the...

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Join our Patreon to get more stuff

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

Urban Exploring with Ryan Berkebile

The Dark Side of Seoul Podcast

07/07/21 • 81 min

Guest: Ryan Berkebile

Seoul has obliterated a lot of its history in the mad rush to progress. Only in recent years has the government required archaeological surveys before major construction in certain locations. Korea’s small passionate urban exploring community catalogs the areas that the government thinks aren’t royal enough to matter. One of these “urbexers” joins us to tell us about his journeys, how to get involved, and how urban exploring has educated him about Korean culture.

Join our Patreon to get more stuff

Book a tour of The Dark Side of Seoul Ghost Walk at https://darksideofseoul.com

Listener Mail! Send us a message (Instagram, Facebook, email) and we might read it on air.

Music by Soraksan

Top tier Patrons

Angel Earl
Joel Bonomini
Jamie Staley
Shaaron Cullen
Devon Hiphner
Minseok Lee
Laura Casey
Jane Hargrave
Sarah Ford
Alix Radilla
Ryan Berkebile

Persons of Interest

From murderers to money launderers, thieves to thugs – police officers from the...

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Join our Patreon to get more stuff

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

Itaewon History 2: Rise, Fall, & Murders

The Dark Side of Seoul Podcast

06/16/21 • 84 min

Two mysterious unrelated murders happened in Itaewon in 1997 and 2001. One was famous. The other was forgotten. Part two of our History of Itaewon covers Itaewon’s rise as a trendy hotspot, its rapid demise, and its future.

Join our Patreon to get more stuff

Book a tour of The Dark Side of Seoul Ghost Walk at https://darksideofseoul.com

Listener Mail! Send us a message (Instagram, Facebook, email) and we might read it on air.

Music by Soraksan

Top tier Patrons

Angel Earl

Joel Bonomini

Jamie Staley

Shaaron Cullen

Devon Hiphner

Minseok Lee

Laura Casey
Jane Hargrave

Sarah Ford

Alix Radilla
Ryan Berkebile

Persons of Interest

From murderers to money launderers, thieves to thugs – police officers from the...

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Join our Patreon to get more stuff

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

Monsters!

The Dark Side of Seoul Podcast

10/28/20 • 79 min

How many Korean monsters do you know? Which ones enjoy riding humans? Which monster resides in a North Korean lake and had a movie made about it?

Join our Patreon to get more stuff

Book a tour of The Dark Side of Seoul Ghost Walk at https://darksideofseoul.com

Cheonji Lake Monsters? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFElPwUVUHs

MBC Jangsan-beom report: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dx7gYwX0DLM

Reported sightings of Jangsan-beom (map)

Movie Recommendations

Bulgasari - 1985 North Korean monster movie, essentially a kaiju film (called goe-su in Korean)
- Director Shin Sang-ok was kidnapped by North Korea (ordered by Kim Jong-il) and forced to make several films in the North, including Bulgasari
The Host - Korean title is ‘goe-mul’
Universal Monster Movies - all the golden age films
- Namely the first three Frankenstein films: Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, Son of Frankenstein - cinema’s first great trilogy
Hammer Studios - all their monster films
- Namely Curse of Frankenstein, Dracula, and Curse of the Werewolf
The Mist
Tremors
Pan’s Labyrinth
An American Werewolf in London
King Kong (original)
Godzilla (original) - the King of the Monsters!

Music by Soraksan

Top tier Patrons

Angel Earl

Joel Bonomini

Jamie Staley

Shaaron Cullen

Join our Patreon to get more stuff

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