The Dark Side of Seoul Podcast
Korean dark history, ghost tales, folklore, serial killers, true crime, and more. You are about to discover why Korea has the spookiest stories and darkest history.Folklorist Shawn and history buff Joe delve into Korea's gruesome stories of massacres, betrayals, and blood. It's like "Game of Thrones" in Asia. We share our passion for Korea and its struggles throughout time. If you enjoy shows like "Kingdom," this is the podcast for you. Even if you know nothing about Korea, its history will become your new addiction.Subscribe, sit back, and enjoy.
Podcasting since 2020 • 304 episodes
The Dark Side of Seoul Podcast
Latest Episodes
Reading the Dead: What Korean Graves Tell Us
Winter 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 wan...
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Episode 302
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1:01:34
Who Should Still Be Driving in Korea?
South 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...
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Episode 301
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59:57
Where Have All the Soju Tents Gone? Part 2
Our 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 ...
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Episode 300
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49:59
Where Have All the Soju Tents Gone? Part 1
There 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 W...
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Episode 299
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54:13
Christmas Nightmares 2: Holiday Crimes
Christmas 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 chilli...
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Episode 298
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38:06
Fan Mail
Hey thanks guys. I am all the way in the US but I really appreciate your hijinks, especially with all the real darkness looming here in the States. Its oddly soothing to listen to distant horrors when you have all too real ones near by.
Lansing, Michigan