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51 More info Visit zenkimchi.com or www.koreadmc.co.kr/ journey-bug/holiday/the-dark-side-of-seoul-tour. GrooveCast GrooveCast host Chance Dorland and writer Christine Pickering take a tour of ghostly Seoul. Check out the episode at groovekorea.com. ing ages, ethnicities and occupations — taxi drivers, diplomats, business owners — he has heard countless anecdotes related to the paranormal. “I knew (a) member of the diplomatic corps,” he says. “She and her husband told me that while they were in their kitchen, a large jar lift- ed up and flew across the room and smashed into the wall. They were convinced they had a ghost.” Neff notes that most may be loath to admit a belief in ghosts at first — believing is seen as an embarrassment and marks people as being out of touch with Korea’s enlightened, high-tech society. Eventually, however, his in- terviewees open up, especially if the question is posed seriously and without judgment. Al- though belief in the supernatural is lessening — “with modernization, ghosts are disappear- ing” — it still exists in some form, and it is a way to explain the unknown. According to Neff, “A lot of the original ghost stories, they stem from not knowing. You hear a whistling sound, and you’re in the next room. … Now we know that it’s probably the wind, but back then, we didn’t know what it was. It’s just the unknown, and we’re fascinated by something that we don’t know … I think any- body believes in a ghost when it’s dark and you’re alone and it’s scary outside. Everybody has some fear.” Although there are countless intriguing tales of the paranormal in Seoul’s history, not ev- eryone is interested. On a previous ghost tour, McPherson recalls how angry a Korean at- tendee became. Accusing him of besmirching Korea’s name and of spreading false informa- tion to foreigners, the attendee was irate at the stories McPherson was sharing with the group. Despite having prepared for the tours for over a year, and having done an impressive amount of historical research, McPherson was asked by the attendee for his credentials and the sources of his information. Similarly, Pak Sang-gap, a young man work- ing full-time while on break from his university studies, thinks that learning about the ghosts of Seoul isn’t important: “Personally, I think that it’s just the past, so it isn’t necessary to learn about that.” While he professes a belief in ghosts and has personally experienced mysterious occur- rences that he cannot rationally explain, he thinks it is more beneficial to “just forget (the past) and (look toward) the future.” Regardless of people’s stated beliefs, ghosts still play an important role in Korea today, and not solely in pop culture. In the “jesa” ritual, a traditional memorial ceremony, food and drinks are offered to the spirits of ancestors on the anniversary of their death. And every February on Ganghwa Island, which has been the site of numerous violent confrontations since the Joseon Dynasty, people offer sacrifices to the “mul gwishin” (water ghosts) to appease the spirits of those who have drowned and still lurk in the murky depths of the Han River. “There’s (still) some honoring of the ghosts, but they don’t address them as ghosts now,” Neff points out. “Spirits, ancestors … what’s the difference? Aren’t they (all) ghosts?” So, is Seoul haunted? Do vengeful ghost women stalk male National Assembly mem- bers? Do the victims of a wrongful execution wander the streets seeking justice? Does the spirit of a young woman haunt the airplane where she met her untimely end? Whatever the answer, ghosts will likely retain a place in Korean folklore, pop culture and tra- ditional practices for years to come.