Wongwi (Maejang-gwi)
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Basic Information
Threat Assessment
Overview
This is the story of Wongwi (Maejang-gwi), one of the most feared ghosts in Korean tradition. Wongwi (Maejang-gwi) are spirits of people who died buried underground and cannot emerge from below the earth. Particularly those who couldn't receive proper funerals or were unjustly murdered and buried become Wongwi (Maejang-gwi). What's most terrifying is that they reach out from underground to grab the ankles of passing people. Once caught, there's a horrific legend that you're dragged underground to meet the same fate. In Korea, they're said to appear near graveyards, old execution sites, and battlefields, and it's said one must be extremely careful when passing such places at night.
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Characteristics & Behavior
Physical Description
Most have bodies covered in soil and mud, with faces showing advanced decomposition. Fingernails are long and sharp, especially hands are wounded from digging earth. Eyes are either hollow or glow blood-red, and mouth emits earthy and rotten smells.
Behavior Pattern
Mainly hides underground and reaches out hands from the ground to grab ankles when people pass by. Particularly active at night, mainly operating near graveyards or old burial sites. Once they set a target, they persistently pursue.
Legends & Stories
Summary
A terrifying ghost story of souls buried underground reaching out from the earth to drag people down
Detailed Legend
One of the most feared entities in Korean traditional ghost stories, believed that souls of those who couldn't receive proper funerals or were unjustly murdered and buried become Wongwi (Maejang-gwi). According to stories passed down from the Joseon Dynasty, they remain trapped underground while harboring resentment and trying to make surface people meet the same fate. They particularly appear near graveyards, old execution sites, and battlefields, with terrifying legends of grabbing ankles of people passing such places at night and dragging them underground. People once caught by Wongwi (Maejang-gwi) are said to become Wongwi (Maejang-gwi) themselves underground, targeting other people. Even in modern times, similar sightings are reported at construction sites and old public cemeteries.
History & Origin
Origin
Korean traditional funeral culture and folk beliefs about unjust deaths
Related Events
- •Strange accidents at construction sites
- •Missing person cases near public cemeteries
- •Sightings at old battlefields
⚠️ Safety Measures
Media & Cultural References
National Mystery - Hands Coming from Underground
Common subject in Korean horror films
Location Map
Other Ghosts
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