A humid and oppressive summer night is the right time to experience fear. Apparently, monsters from Western literature, such as the slow moving zombies and the blood sucking Dracula, are considered quite good for inducing fear. However, it feels as if they are lacking in something. The Korean people are truly scared of the ghosts from Korea, such as the Virgin Ghost with windblown hair and the Death Messenger dressed in black. Where can we find the real horror borne from the Korean legends?
The answer is in the Korean Folk Village (KFV). The Legendary Hometown in KFV is the right attraction for those who wanted more than just sitting and watching horror movies, or those who have lost the appeal of ordinary haunted houses.
The KFV has been open to the public since 2012. Storytelling was the main theme for KFV’s 2012 summer event. When night falls, visitors enter the village. The Death Messenger guides them in solving the mystery of the cursed town. Since its opening in 1974, their fear experience event has appealed to the masses. The tickets were sold out even before the day was over. KFV is now launching the nation’s first dark ride attraction, which is riding the performance momentum from their previous success.
Ghost Museum Versus Fear Experience: The Horror of the Ghost Zone
This is the location where people can meet traditional Korean ghosts. It is an exhibition hall with a simple one-way path; however, the poor lighting and creepy sound system enhances the chilling atmosphere. The highlight of this attraction is the toilet ghost in zone 1. When a visitor enters the old squat toilet, a sensor detects the movement from the visitor and then a screaming ghost appears from the toilet hole. The ST, who was walking calmly towards the toilet, had seen the ghost of a screaming school girl. It was a really short path, and ten minutes was enough to cover the whole area. Zone 2 had a much less surprise attack than zone 1. Each ghost had an explanation sign. If you feel relaxed enough to read it, then those boards are going to be quite helpful.
The Cursed Town Horror Train: Legendary Hometown
The story begins with the wrongful death of a town girl. After her death, a curse had been placed on the town, wherein the townspeople have either gone mad or died. The visitors will become aware of the truth of this tragedy by passing through the cursed town. In this attraction, the visitors will ride a four-passenger train. The train will slowly go through a dark location, where screams can be heard echoing all over the place. Ghosts haunt everywhere, but the one that scares people the most is the ghost that pops right above the visitor’s head. The sound of the ghost crawling down the ceiling is also horrifying. However, the attraction falls short due to its hour-long waiting period. It is the most popular attraction in KFV, so the waiting line is longer than expected. As a result, some people are left unsatisfied with the overall experience from the horror train attraction.
ST Review: ★★☆☆☆
The score that the ST has given is a bit low. If you decide to visit there solely for the fear experience, you may be disappointed. The Legendary Hometown started with the tour around the whole village; however, the appeal of storytelling became weak due to the simplicity of the ride attraction. In comparison to the hour-long waiting period, the ride was considerably short. The ticket only costs 4000 won; therefore, it is understandable that the price befits the overall setup of this horror attraction.
