Horror hit ‘Salmokji’ turns filming site into late-night hot spot
Actors Kim Hye-yoon, left, and Lee Jong-won in a scene from “Salmokji: Whispering Water” / Courtesy of Showbox
The horror film “Salmokji: Whispering Water” is creating a phenomenon in the local film industry as its box office popularity spreads to the real world, turning its actual filming location into a popular destination for late-night thrill-seekers.
According to data from the Korean Film Council on Monday, the film, which was released on April 8, topped the box office last week, drawing 724,029 viewers.
The film notably drew more than 530,000 viewers from Friday to Sunday, marking the highest opening weekend for a horror film since “Metamorphosis” (2019), which attracted around 570,000 viewers.
“Salmokji: Whispering Water” follows a film crew that visits a reservoir to reshoot scenes after a mysterious figure is captured on a road view map. There, they encounter an unidentifiable entity lurking in the dark waters.
This photo, shared on an online community, captures a crowd of visitors and several vehicles gathered late at night at the entrance of Salmokji reservoir in Yesan, South Chungcheong Province. Captured from an online community
Directed by Lee Sang-min and starring Kim Hye-yoon and Lee Jong-won, the film is set and filmed at a real reservoir in Yesan, South Chungcheong Province.
Salmokji was originally an ordinary reservoir built in 1982 to supply water to local farms. However, the location later became famous as a scary spot for local occult enthusiasts and was even featured on the MBC horror talk show “Midnight Horror Story.”
Recently, images shared on online communities and navigation apps showed as many as 100 cars heading toward the remote reservoir at 3 a.m. Social media users jokingly said that the massive crowds were effectively “exorcising” the site, suggesting that large number of visitors would scare away any ghosts.
However, the sudden surge in visitors has also raised safety concerns. As Salmokji is a public area, activities like camping, cooking or fishing are strictly prohibited.
Fans of the movie say that the psychological pressure from the creepy reservoir itself, rather than just the gory scenes, is what makes the film so thrilling.
Lead actor Kim, who was aware of the reservoir’s ghost stories from the MBC show, said she focused on expressing the hidden, collapsing emotions of her character.
A poster for “Salmokji: Whispering Water” / Courtesy of Showbox
This trend indicates a significant shift in how audiences consume culture, according to Lim Eun-jung, who produced the massive hit “The King’s Warden.”
“The sight of crowds flocking to filming sites like Yeongwol (in Gangwon Province) is impressive. It shows that the audience is not just watching a movie and feeling good about it, but is willing to invest their time and effort to physically experience the origin of the story,” Lim said.
She added that cinema can still become a brilliant tool in an era where social media and streaming platforms are dominant.
“I feel that the way audiences enjoy culture is evolving. They have become active participants. While many say cinema is in a fierce competition with streaming services, I hope films can serve as a medium for a more comprehensive cultural experience that connects viewers to various related themes and real-world activities,” she added.