Yesan County in South Chungcheong Province has imposed nighttime access restrictions on a reservoir that served as the real-life backdrop for "Salmokji," Korea's top-grossing horror film, after approximately 100 vehicles began flooding the site at midnight.
From Urban Legend to Film: Salmokji's 'Haunted Spot' Legacy
The county announced on its official social media account on May 14 that nighttime visits to Salmokji would be restricted "to prevent safety accidents." The curfew runs from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.
"Please refrain from fishing, camping, cooking, and littering," the county said. "Do not approach the water's edge at night."
Salmokji is a reservoir built in 1982 to supply agricultural water, quietly known only among fishing enthusiasts until it was featured on MBC's "Late Night Horror Stories" in 2022.
Stories spread about a woman who nearly drove into the reservoir following GPS directions and later fell into a coma after a car accident, along with accounts of witnesses claiming to have seen "a ghost with its neck turned 90 degrees." The site became known as a "haunted spot" among the MZ generation.
A shaman who appeared on the show warned, "Ghosts still linger there. You should never go." The mystery deepened as tales circulated about suspicious drowning deaths in shallow waters and discoveries of "neokgeori," a shamanistic ritual to appease departed souls.
