Earthbound Spirit
or restricted access
Basic Information
Threat Assessment
Overview
One of the most commonly encountered ghost types in Korea. Earthbound spirits are souls who, after death, remain strongly attached to specific places or objects and cannot leave. They usually stay in their former homes, places where they died, or locations with strong emotional attachments. Most are not malicious, but they extremely dislike having their territory invaded or being disturbed. Korean tradition recognizes these beings with the saying 'the soul guards that place.' What's most frightening is learning the stories behind why they cannot leave those places.
📺 Related Videos
Characteristics & Behavior
Physical Description
Often appear as they did in life, but sometimes seem blurry or translucent. Their expressions are usually sad or vacant, with deep longing or resentment in their eyes. Their clothing maintains the appearance from when they died, becoming increasingly eerie as time passes.
Behavior Pattern
They only operate within the specific places they're bound to and cannot leave those territories. Mainly active at night but can appear during the day. They watch or try to drive away people who enter their domain, and sometimes ask for help.
Legends & Stories
Summary
Stories of souls who remain bound to specific places after death, unable to depart
Detailed Legend
The most common form of spirit in Korean traditional ghost studies, referring to souls who cannot leave specific places after death due to strong obsession, attachment, or resentment. Since the Joseon Dynasty, this has been expressed as 'the soul guards that place,' with belief that those who died unjustly or had strong attachments to certain locations become earthbound spirits. Most don't cause harm, but react violently when their territory is disturbed. Even in modern times, sighting reports continue at old buildings and accident sites.
History & Origin
Origin
Concept derived from Korean traditional shamanism and ancestor worship culture
Related Events
- •Spirit sightings during old building demolitions
- •Continuous appearances at accident sites
- •Strange phenomena in abandoned houses
⚠️ Safety Measures
Media & Cultural References
Unanswered Questions - Souls That Cannot Leave
Common subject in Korean horror films
Various horror drama episodes
Location Map
Other Ghosts
Susalgui
In Korean tradition, this is the spirit of a person who died by drowning. Susalgui is written in Chinese characters as '수사귀(水死鬼)' or '수살귀(水殺鬼)', called susalgui in shamanic contexts and 'long-fingered water ghost' in folktales. Along with maiden ghosts, it's one of the most feared spirits by shamans, considered the most vicious among all vengeful spirits. Unable to accept the fact of drowning, it harbors resentment and tries to drag others into the water to share the same fate. As it ages, its ghostly power strengthens, able to enchant even people just passing by the waterside and lure them into the water.
Eodukshini
A fairy-like being symbolizing darkness in Korean tradition. Eodukshini appears in darkness similar to Geusundae, but rather than causing direct harm, it has a mischievous personality that enjoys startling people. It loves receiving attention, growing larger when people look at it and shrinking to disappear when ignored. Essentially considered a phantom created by the human mind, it's a philosophically meaningful yokai symbolizing psychological fear of darkness. While Geusundae is an 'evil spirit' that directly harms people, Eodukshini is more like a 'fairy' that simply startles people.
Changgwi
In Korean tradition, this is the spirit of a person eaten by a tiger who becomes a slave to that tiger. According to Ming scholar Do Mok's 'Cheong-u-gi-dam,' 'Changgwi are souls of people eaten by tigers who dare not go elsewhere and become only slaves of the tiger.' Changgwi guide tigers and serve them, and since they can only be freed when that tiger eats another person, they use various schemes to make other people food for the tiger, even family members. It was such a feared existence that traditionally, people would not marry into families where someone had been killed by a tiger.
Geusundae
A representative yokai symbolizing darkness in Korean tradition. Geusundae derives its name from 'shade' and 'new moon,' meaning 'a giant presence standing in darkness.' It initially appears as a child in dark places to lure people, then suddenly transforms into a shadow form that grows larger to threaten or harm people. It's a conditionally immortal yokai - when in shadow form, it cannot be defeated by physical attacks and actually grows larger each time it's attacked. Since it cannot exert power without darkness, it can be repelled by torches or multiple people with lights.
Mongdal Ghost
A ghost that becomes the spirit of a bachelor who died without marriage in Korean traditional folklore. Mongdal Ghost is a vengeful spirit that arises when someone who couldn't go through the marriage stage of normal life procedures dies, also called Bachelor Ghost, Young Lord Ghost, or Samtae Ghost. It's believed that the spirits of bachelors who died from lovesickness or who died without being able to marry become vengeful spirits that commit evil acts against humans. It's particularly thought to torment living people, especially unmarried women, or cause them to die from lovesickness.