The Gonjiam Psychiatric hospital has been labeled one of the most haunted places in South Korea and CNN has reported it to be one of the freakiest places in the world. The local legend is that the hospital's patients started dying mysteriously during the mid 90's and the head doctor was just as crazy as the patients, keeping them there more like prisoners. Eventually, all these goings on lead to forcing its closure and the fleeing of the doctor to America. The hospital is now an abandoned, weathered building with rather disturbing remnants of it's questionable history.
The truth reveals a rather less interesting story. The closure being caused by economic downfall and poor sanitary conditions due to problems with sewage disposal. The doctor and owner of the building did leave the country some 20 years ago, without completing any documentation regarding the plot. So, the building has remained untouched (besides it's unofficial visitors), hidden away in the woods for the last 20 years.
However, as Tony Wilson once said:
"When you have to choose between truth and legend... I say choose the legend".
So, with all that being said, our story begins. We took a few buses and arrived in Gonjiam, from here it's advised you pull out a map/phone to find your way.
As we made our way to the hospital, the road becomes less and less busy and we get quite a few stares from the locals. I guess there's no other reason for foreigners to be walking down this path, other than in search of the hospital. About 20 minutes on, on the right hand side, we came to the main gate; Padlocked and rusted shut, with tangled up barbed wire and warning signs. We had arrived, and this gate is straight out of a B-Movie classic!
From reading the Chincha blog, we knew that we couldn't enter from here, but were advised to walk a short distance down the road and through the garden of a light coloured building. The building is right next to the gate and we assumed it would be abandoned as well.
Although there was no people around, there were obvious signs of activity, and a car parked on the drive was a big give away that someone might just be home. We didn't really wan't to be cutting through someones garden just to get to the hospital, but the main reason we decided against it was the ominous looking mannequins sitting on the drive, and odd out houses behind the building.
This to me was textbook horror film material, anyone who's a fan of film would peg the owner of this house to be the strange, backwards, Ed Gein style maniac and passing though this back garden is just asking for trouble. So unsurprisingly, we decided to keep on moving in hope of another way.
A little up the road we came across another gate, just before this on the right is a small trail that's hard to spot. We decided this was probably our best chance as it was leading in the right direction whilst staying clear of the mannequins hut.
For anyone in Korea who's planning the trip, these next two photos are for you, the path we found was just before this gate, pretty much where this photo was taken from.
This next one is the trail itself, not the easiest to spot and becomes very steep at times, but persevere and you'll get there.
Soon enough, building start to emerge from the wilderness and it all starts to become real. As we continued along the precarious path, there were fallen trees and the bug life was thriving! Sophie felt something on her head, at a quick glance up, she though it was nothing but a branch, until down came a spider right in front of her face. This brought on some kind of fit from Sophie, one I can only think to describe as similar to a 90's school girl on the front row of a Take That show. Only difference being that in this case, Sophie was stood on the edge of a very unstable edge with quite the fall if she slipped!
As we got to the end of the trail, there's a break in the trees where the hospital can be found. It was a fantastic feeling to actually find this place and made me feel like a child again, playing in the woods and only imagining scenarios such as this. Can a childhood of exploration and imagination prepare me for the real thing in later life... I sure hope so.
As I walked on from the trail to the main grounds of the hospital, my first step seemed to disturb a gathering of spiders as at least 30 of the little blighters scurried away from beneath my foot. This occurred with every step no less:
"Sophie, keep your head up and walk fast", said Amber.
I decided I would try and get onto the main grassy flat land, as I walked up the slight incline, I heard something moving in the grass. What could it be, I thought to myself. Too much movement for spiders, perhaps a rat, was my logical thought. I leaned in closer - because that always turns out well in horror films - and I saw through the gaps in the grass a long, brown tail with a hint of green. It looked a little unusual to me, and I though that is one big rat. My eye's tracked the movement until the grass cleared by my feet, only to reveal the true identity of this foul beast to be a snake! A serpent, a minion of Satan himself! Needless to say I decided the path of moving spiders was a lot more manageable now.
Soon enough we were on safe ground, the road from the main gate that leads right to the hospital. The building is fantastic and very quickly the treacherous quest that lead to our arrival was forgotten. The first point of entry we found, much like the previous explorers from the Chincha blog, was the hospital kitchen towards the rear. You can see the entrance on the photo below.
Inside remains the old table and seating of the kitchen. The ground now nothing more than mud and various other objects such as bowls and trolleys lying around. We could also see though the service hatch the main cafeteria, and down a very long hallway, light shining through what looked like an open door way. We figured this must be the way in and decided to venture forth in attempt of entering the main building.
I forgot to get a photo of the entrance, but from what I understand it's a lot easier to enter now. Someone has done us the curtsy of cutting out the bars blocking the entrance, so there's no more climbing through small windows to get in. Now you just have to crawl through a rather large space cut out of the lower section of the entrance.
Once inside we find more evidence of this buildings history, on the left hand side is what we believe to be the nurses room as seen below. There was a white board and post it notes in here with messages still remaining.
As we stand in the main entrance lobby, we see at the far end of the corridor the cafeteria and kitchen where we were just moments ago. Although the door knocked off the wall complete with frame was not the most encouraging site. As we proceed we come across a filing cabinet with all its files scattered across the floor. Under closer inspection, these were all patient x-rays dating back to November/December 1994, around the same time of the hospitals closure.
Every room has its own character, this was my favourite. So much going on from the childish pillow in the closet, the patient file on the floor, books, clothing and to top it all off there're loads of tiny paper cranes scattered across the floor and down the side of the mattress. The coloured paper really stood out from the stark surroundings. I couldn't help but wonder about the rooms occupant.
Moving on we come across the doctors room. The room is filled with old files, prescription packets, x-rays and even has the doctors white coat hanging from the wall.
As we progress down the hall, each room is as interesting as the one before, the ceiling boards all falling down and various personal items giving a glimpse of a life long forgot.
We fully explore the first floor and it seems we've been here for a good hour already, towards the end of the corridor is a staircase leading to the second floor and with two floors left to explore we decide to head on up. By this point, there's no fear but pure interest and curiosity keeps us going.
On the second floor, the corridor is somewhat more sinister than the first. Light creeping in from the rooms highlighting the rubble and broken up floor, casting questionable shadows bringing back remembrance of horror film scenarios. They always love a good freaky hallway.
Before heading towards the light of this corridor, we decided to explore the other direction first as there were less rooms, one of which had a creepy looking lamp and the other had paintings on the walls as though the patient had painted him/herself the perfect views. At this end of the corridor however was no shining light from the outside, but a large rusty steel window shutter. It was a rather strange place for it and the size was unusually large. Our friend peered through the gap to see on the other side another bedroom, but this one was different. It didn't have upturned mattresses, or water damaged sheets. This room was clean, unlike any other room in the building. Wanting to get a better view we decided to try and open the shutters. They were bolted shut from our side. Unfortunately though, the clasps were missing, leaving just the bolt itself through the brackets.
Sophie found a pen on the floor and tried to use that to push the bolt out, but she stopped when she thought she heard some knocking. We all heard something, but put it down to either wind or ourselves trying to open it. Sophie tried to open the bolt on the other side next and again there were three, slow knocks from the other side of the shutters. This time we all heard it, clear as day. Everyone was freaked out so I passed it off as nothing and blamed the wind again, wind is surely the logical cause. I on the other hand wasn't convinced it was the wind, nor were the girls. You see the shutters were solid as a rock, no budging at all. They made no rattling or knocking noises when we pushed against them.
Below is the only photo I got of the questionable shutters, taken from the room with all the painted views. The other strange thing about the room beyond the shutters, is that there appears to be no door to it from the main building. It's location is right above the kitchen where we started out, there was a door from the stairwell on the outside, but that was blocked off with no chance of entry.
Slightly freaked, we decided to leave the shutters alone and continue exploring the second floor. Sophie had her phone out and was using it as a torch when she noticed that we didn't have any signal inside the building. Great, we are now truly entering into Cliché territory here and it was only about to get worse. We got about half way down the corridor when our conversation was interrupted, we all froze with deathly silence as the sound of a door from where we had just been started to creak. For what must have been at least four seconds, the door echoed down the hallway sending chills down our spines as we slowly turn to where the noise was coming from before finally the door slamming shut!
"We've got to go, now!" Amber said.
Both Sophie and I agreed it was time to go. Things we getting a little too freaky and this is the moment to listen to your gut. I started to put my camera away, much the dismay of the girls who were wondering why I was worrying about that right now. You see, we all were convinced we could here shuffling as well. Up until now the whole building was completely silent, not a sound. We were on the second floor and with only one exit, we were defiantly the only people there. The girls were rushing me, but in my mind, should the potential crazy guy with the mannequins on his drive be real and here to get us, I wanted my hands free. After all, we still had to get downstairs, down the ground floor corridor and crawl though the exit just to get out of the building. Then cross the spider and snake riddled grass land and across the precarious trail.
Needless to say we didn't fall victim to the mannequin killer inspiring a true story film about three stupid young adults who venture off without letting anyone know, ignoring all the clear cut warning signs and danger that presented itself to them ultimately leading to the inevitable. We made it out safe and sound, but just a little freaked. Probably the most terrifying experience of my adult life.
I recommend anyone who has the chance to check this place out, it's great. However I would advise you go in a small group, no more than four. I don't think the locals would be best pleased with a large group of tourists waltzing through. Also where clothes you don't mind getting dirty, and sensible shoes for hiking, defiantly go early in the day to give yourself plenty of time with the light. I wouldn't want to be caught there at night.
If you want to see more photos from the hospital, please follow the link below.
Gonjiam Abandoned Psychiatric Hospital
