Yeongdeok Haunted House: Korea’s Most Terrifying Abandoned Ghost House

The Yeongdeok Haunted House (영덕흉가), or simply Yeongdeok House, is a haunted mansion situated on a cliff overlooking the ocean within Yeongdeok County, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It does not look any stranger than any typical old haunted house – two stories, paint peeling off, windows smashed, and a whole lot of disrepair. However, this haunted house has been a legend in Korea for many decades as being among the most haunted sites within the country.

History of the House

Despite the rumors, there was a time when the site where Yeongdeok Haunted House was not a ghost location. In point of fact, it was a hilltop area that had a very beautiful view of the ocean. In October of 1980, a local family built this house because they wanted to live there and run a business. Since this area was known to have plenty of seafood, the first owner of this house turned it into a seafood restaurant. They named it Woosuk Garden. The restaurant served customers both from within and outside of this area for a number of years until it failed, and the owner moved to other countries.

According to local legends, this building changed numerous owners throughout this period. Each of them attempted to earn themselves a living there, be it through revamping the restaurant or even living in it, but apparently, none of them managed to do so for long. Whether they left of their own accord or met some more sinister ends is unclear. One fact is certain, though: this house had been abandoned and left to ruin in the early 1990’s.

A part of the chilling folklore surrounding the house is connected to far older tragedies. Many people in the area believe that the land was used for interment for hundreds of young soldiers buried close to Yeongdeok who died during the conflict known as the Korean War that took place between 1950 and 1953. Some versions put the number of soldiers at almost 400 to 700 who died in battles close by, whose graves consisted of unmarked burial sites beneath the hill even before the house was constructed.

The Ghost Stories and Paranormal Reports

Almost all the cases involving Yeongdeok Haunted House are about the spirits of the dead haunting the building, not one but many. While there is no particular order, some common ideas are:

Ghost on the Staircase - One of the oldest and most popular tales is the owner’s wife witnessing the apparition of a female descending the staircase one night after the restaurant had just opened up. She supposedly fainted from fear at the sight of the white apparition and long hair. To some, this marked the turning point where the reputation of the house changed from merely intriguing to haunted.

Repressive Environment – There are reports of a sudden drop in temperature, waves of cold, and an ‘unnatural heaviness’ as one approaches and enters the house. There are also reports that one feels as if being watched even when one is alone. There have also been reports of flickering light, unusual sounds, and voices picked up by audio recorders.

Shaman Encounters - One of the most sensational cases comes from a TV media report of a Korean Shaman visiting the house and stating that she could detect more than ten thousand spirits within the house. The Shaman held rituals to try and get rid of the spirits, but she failed and odd sounds could be recorded on audio recorders during the visit.

Physical Reactions - Persons investigating the house complain of headaches, dizzy spells, and nauseous sensations without any apparent reason. Teams of ghost hunters have reported instances of equipment failures and cold spots that cannot be explained by natural causes.

Mass Spirit Theory — Some people think the soldiers who died during the war are still restless in spirit, uneasy in the knowledge that they had not been properly mourned or buried in decent graves. It is no wonder, therefore, why Yeongdeok’s history of the unquiet dead should have been perpetuated.

Why It Matters Whether or not these tales are to be believed as actual paranoiac events or merely local color of a certain sort, Yeongdeok Haunted House has clearly evolved from a simple empty building to something more—a sort of cultural monument of ghost tales in Korea. As a place of actual spirits for believers and a symbol of how tragedy and rumor combine to create a compelling narrative for unbelievers, it is something significantly more than a simple haunted house. Today, the building exists and is often visited by adventure-seekers and ghost hunters who want to experience the alleged phenomenon for themselves.