Mangtaegi Grandfather
or restricted access
Basic Information
Threat Assessment
Overview
A traditional Korean ghost story every Korean has heard in childhood. He's known by various names across Korean regions: 'Mangtaegi Grandfather' in Seoul and Gyeonggi, 'Sack Grandfather' in Chungcheong, and 'Mangtae Old Man' in Gyeongsang provinces. He carries a huge wicker basket on his back to capture disobedient children. The fate of children who enter that basket... some Korean legends say they never return home, while others claim they're dragged to another world to become the grandfather's servants. What's most terrifying is that sightings continue to be reported even today in Korea.
📺 Related Videos
Characteristics & Behavior
Physical Description
Appears as a man in his 70s with a hunched back carrying a huge wicker basket. He has a long, dirty beard and wears tattered clothes. His eyes are bloodshot red, and his fingernails are abnormally long like claws. Strange sounds come from his wicker basket as he walks.
Behavior Pattern
Active mainly from 7 PM until dawn, searching for children wandering alone or misbehaving kids. He watches children near their homes and when the opportunity arises, puts them in his wicker basket and disappears. Frequently spotted near schools and playgrounds.
Legends & Stories
Summary
A story of a scary grandfather who puts disobedient children in his wicker basket and takes them away
Detailed Legend
One of the most famous terrifying entities in Korean traditional folk tales, originally used to discipline children since the Joseon Dynasty, but actual sighting reports continue to be reported. Known by different names across regions: 'Mangtaegi Grandfather' in Seoul and Gyeonggi, 'Sack Grandfather' in Chungcheong, and 'Mangtae Old Man' in Gyeongsang provinces. The legend tells of someone who carries a large wicker basket on his back, taking away disobedient children. Their fate varies by legend - some say they never return home, while others claim they're taken to another world to become the grandfather's servants. Sighting reports exist nationwide, with many cases reported especially in the 1970s-80s.
History & Origin
Origin
Legendary entity originating from Korean traditional folk tales and child discipline culture
Related Events
- •Connections to child disappearance cases nationwide
- •Concentrated sightings in the 1970s-80s
- •Illegal trespassing reports near schools
⚠️ Safety Measures
Media & Cultural References
Mangtae Grandfather Traditional Tale Series
Horror Film 'Mangtae' (2019)
Unanswered Questions - Mangtae Grandfather Sightings
Korean Horror Game 'Mangtae Grandfather'
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.