Korean parents enlist ghosts to discipline kids, sparking child abuse complaints

A popular attraction at the Korean Folk Village, where actors dressed as ghosts discipline misbehaving children, has come under scrutiny after complaints prompted the local government to consider investigating possible child abuse.

The move has instead sparked controversy, with many online commenters arguing that parents who bring their children to the attraction, rather than the folk village itself, should be held responsible if the experience is deemed abusive.

Yongin City, Gyeonggi Province, said Monday that it plans to visit the Korean Folk Village later this month with child welfare experts and police to examine how the so-called "ghost discipline" event is operated.

Every autumn, the folk village hosts an event featuring actors dressed as traditional Korean ghosts, including the nine-tailed fox and the virgin ghost. More recently, a segment dubbed "ghost discipline," in which the performers scold and discipline children on behalf of their parents, has gained popularity through word of mouth.

However, the event has drawn criticism from some visitors, who argue that it exposes children to excessive fear and could leave them traumatized. Complaints have also been filed with authorities.

According to the city, nine complaints concerning the event have been submitted through the government's online civil petition system. Police have also reportedly received a request to look into a possible case of child abuse. The city said it would coordinate with the folk village to arrange a visit and assess the event's operations.

The planned investigation has itself drawn criticism online, with many saying both the complaints against the attraction and the city's response are excessive. They argued that interpreting the event as a potential violation of child protection laws was an overreach.

"If ghost discipline is really a problem, shouldn't the parents who bring their children there be investigated for child abuse, rather than the ghosts (or the folk village)?" one online commenter wrote sarcastically.

"Does this mean the folk village will become a no-kids zone now?" another commenter asked, adding, "Save child abuse reports for places where actual abuse is taking place."

The Korean Folk Village will continue the ghost discipline event through Sunday, the final day of its extended nighttime opening hours this month. The attraction said it would consider revising the event next year after reviewing the findings of the inspection and gathering feedback.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.