Korean Folk Village's Popular "Gwisin Chamegyoyuk" Program Sparks Controversy... Between Parental Consent and Child Abuse

Actors dressed as ghosts discipline children at parents' request
Complaints filed as videos spread on social media
Korean Folk Village: "We stop if children are distressed"

A popular hands-on program at Korean Folk Village, where actors dressed as ghosts help children correct their behavior, has become embroiled in a child abuse controversy. Some members of the public have raised concerns that discipline using fear could amount to emotional abuse, and a local government has decided to review how the program is operated.

According to JoongAng Ilbo on Nov. 9, Yongin City plans to visit Korean Folk Village this month with child welfare experts and police to examine how the "Gwisin Chamegyoyuk" program is run and whether it involves child abuse.

A video recently posted on “Sokchon Assi,” a YouTube channel run by the Korean Folk Village, garnered 8 million views and sparked online buzz, boosting the program’s popularity. Social media

"Gwisin Chamegyoyuk," which has recently gained popularity on social media, is a hands-on program run by Korean Folk Village as part of its autumn festival, "Gwisin Saba Gwisin Nori." Parents tell the actors about their children's bad habits or behavior, and actors dressed as ghosts then scold the children with frightening expressions and tones of voice. The program is mainly for children who are picky eaters, refuse to brush their teeth, throw things, or disobey their parents.

The program has also grown in popularity after a video posted recently on "Sokchon Assi," a YouTube channel run by Korean Folk Village, drew online attention and garnered 8 million views. A video released on Nov. 2 showed an actor dressed as a ghost asking a child who reportedly had a habit of throwing things, "Are you going to throw things or not?"

To a child who refused to brush their teeth before bed, the actor said, "The gumiho is going to take you away," and the child burst into tears. Another video showed a four-year-old crying after being scolded by an actor and promising to change their behavior. As these videos spread on social media, families flocked to take part in the program. Online, it was also nicknamed the "dark version of Oh Eun-young's service."

“Gwisin Chamgyoyuk,” which has recently gained popularity on social media, is an interactive program run by the Korean Folk Village as part of its fall festival, “Gwisin Saba Gwisin Nori.” SNS

The controversy arose after some members of the public called for the program to be suspended, saying it was inappropriate to deliberately frighten young children. Yongin City has received nine related complaints through channels including the e-People petition system, and one request for a child abuse investigation was reportedly submitted to police. A related petition was also reportedly filed with the National Human Rights Commission of Korea.

Yongin City reportedly asked Korean Folk Village to adjust the program after receiving the first complaint about three weeks ago. The city is currently coordinating a date for an on-site visit, and is reportedly verifying the facts after identifying one preschool-aged child who took part in the event.

However, the relevant authorities are taking a cautious approach to determining whether the program constitutes actual child abuse. A Yongin City official said it would be difficult to impose sanctions at this stage, as similar cases are rare and no court has ruled that such a case constitutes child abuse. The Ministry of Health and Welfare has also been cautious about taking legal action. The ministry says the issue needs to be reviewed because if an experience that induces fear is deemed child abuse, a similar interpretation could also apply to other attractions, such as haunted houses at amusement parks.

Korean Folk Village said the program is operated with parents' voluntary requests and consent, and that it is not intended to use child abuse as entertainment. It also said its own operating guidelines require actors to adjust the intensity of the experience or stop it immediately if a child becomes extremely frightened or has difficulty participating. Korean Folk Village plans to end the program when its nighttime opening period concludes on Nov. 15, and to revise the content next year to reflect the feedback it has received.

Opinions online are also divided. Some users say it is inappropriate to create situations that children could perceive as actual threats, and worry that discipline using fear could have negative long-term effects. Others counter that people have used stories about "Mangtae Grandfather" and ghosts to guide children's behavior in the past, and argue that it is excessive to regard a one-time experience with parental consent as child abuse.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.