"Joseon Yokai Exhibition" Brings the Eight Yokai of Joseon to Life Through Immersive Horror Experiences

From September 6 to November 2 at Legione Hongdae

The exhibition "Joseon Yokai Exhibition," which brings to life the "Eight Yokai of Joseon" through immersive horror experiences, will be held at Legione Hongdae in Mapo-gu, Seoul from September 6 to November 2, 2025.

This exhibition has been organized to shed new light on the value of traditional Korean yokai, which remain relatively unknown in the global market compared to Japanese yokai, amid growing worldwide interest in Korean content.

While Japanese yokai have secured a strong presence in the global market through animations and games such as Pokemon, Yo-kai Watch, and GeGeGe no Kitaro, Korea's traditional yokai have faded into obscurity or failed to be properly inherited and developed due to historical circumstances that led to their erasure.

Korean and Japanese yokai are distinctly different. Traditional Korean yokai embody a unique sentiment rooted in "Han" (a deep sense of sorrow), vengeful spirits, and a shamanistic worldview. While Japanese yokai have evolved mainly as objects and nature-centered beings with a focus on humor and entertainment, Korean yokai are distinguished by their profound narratives that explore the boundaries between life and death, and between humans and the supernatural.

In the global character market, Japanese yokai intellectual property boasts high recognition and a solid fan base thanks to high-quality content, whereas traditional Korean yokai currently lack any significant presence worldwide.

The Joseon Yokai Exhibition aims to overcome this reality and lay the foundation for Korea's traditional yokai to grow into globally recognized K-content in the future.

Yook Yeonsik, Vice President of Starco Link, the company behind this exhibition, emphasized, "Just as 'K-Pop Demon Hunters' has recently succeeded, K-shamanism is gaining attention in the global content market. I am confident that our traditional yokai can offer a new level of distinction in the global character market, not merely as sources of fear, but as narrative assets that capture the sentiment and spirit of the Korean people."