K-horror is already seeing huge success well before the summer season!
In a content market dominated by genre-bending stories and romances, horror is carving out its own niche with fresh concepts and bold directing, winning over young viewers.
According to industry sources on May 2, the Netflix original series ‘Girigo’, released globally on April 24, has become a hit. Thanks to its intense gore and gripping plot, it surprisingly climbed to 4th place in the Global Non-English TV shows chart in its first week.
The series follows five high school students fighting to escape a curse from a wish-granting app called ‘Girigo’. Despite a cast of mostly newcomers like Jeon So-young, Kang Mina, Hyun Woo-seok, Lee Hyo-je, and Baek Sun-ho, the show is being praised for its freshness, combining Director Park Yoon-seo’s tight direction with modern smartphone themes and traditional Korean occult elements like shamans.
In theaters, the movie ‘Salmokji’ is on a roll, surpassing 2 million viewers in just 20 days. This is the first time a horror film has hit the 2 million mark since ‘Gonjiam’ in 2018.
The film tells the story of road-view service employees who enter a reservoir called Salmokji for filming. Featuring strong performances from Kim Hye-yoon, the star of ‘Lovely Runner’, as well as Lee Jong-won, Kim Jun-han, Kim Young-sung, Oh Dong-min, Yoon Jae-chan, and Jang Da-ah, the movie increases immersion by using the famous Salmokji ghost story known among horror enthusiasts.
Interestingly, both works ignored the typical industry rule that horror is only for the summer.
‘Salmokji’ hit theaters in the spring rather than mid-summer, and ‘Girigo’ was released via a global OTT platform, where it can be streamed anytime.
Pop culture critic Ha Jae-geun analyzed, “High-quality works were released just as the weather warmed up and audiences began craving horror. This shows that even a non-mainstream genre like horror can be a hit at any time if the quality is there.”
Both works also share a common thread: using materials that reflect modern times. By turning everyday platforms like smartphone apps and road-view services into mediums of terror, they’ve resonated with younger audiences.
Especially among those in their 10s to 30s, these works are evolving beyond simple viewing into “experience-based” content.
Viewers of ‘Girigo’ are downloading the actual ‘Girigo’ app released on app stores to try it out and share their reviews. Meanwhile, ‘Salmokji’ fans are visiting the actual Salmokji location in Yesan, Chungnam, or posting their heart rates measured at the cinema on social media, turning horror into a form of play.
The rise of rookie actors is another key factor. ‘Girigo’ filled its lead roles with talented newcomers found through auditions, while ‘Salmokji’ introduced fresh faces like Kim Hye-yoon, Lee Jong-won, Yoon Jae-chan, and Jang Da-ah, who are venturing into horror for the first time, rather than relying on established top stars.
Director Park Yoon-seo of ‘Girigo’ stated, “I wanted to find actors who could show a fresh and new side rather than faces the public is too familiar with. I hope this work becomes a gateway for rookie actors to shine, much like ‘Whispering Corridors’ did.”
Since they are K-horror works with Korean elements, ‘Girigo’ and ‘Salmokji’ have high appeal in the global market. ‘Girigo’ blends Korean shamanism, and ‘Salmokji’ uses the ‘mulgwishin’ (water ghost), a traditional Korean spirit, adding a sense of novelty for global viewers.
Critic Ha Jae-geun predicted, “With the emergence of global distribution networks like OTT, Korea’s horror production know-how is shining worldwide, and overseas audiences are more open to exotic content. If we continue to supply quality content, Korean horror can establish a stronger global presence.”
