Shadows of the Palace: Creepy Tales from Korea’s Royal Past
Episode 2: The Hidden Door of Changdeokgung
Hidden behind the elegance of Changdeokgung Palace, amidst its winding stone paths and shadowed corridors, there lies a door few visitors ever notice.
It was during a moonlit evening that I returned to Changdeokgung for a night tour. As the guide spoke of royal gardens and secret pavilions, I wandered slightly off the path, drawn to a wall where a door—small, wooden, and strangely sunken—stood half-concealed behind ivy. It had no doorknob, no signage, and seemed untouched for decades.
Later that night, I asked the guide about it. His smile faltered for a second before replying, "That door... it’s sealed. There's an old tale about a court lady who disappeared through it during the 17th century. They say she was in love with a royal scholar—an affair forbidden at the time."
The story went like this: the court lady, unable to bear their forced separation, sought help from a shaman rumored to dwell within the palace. One night, during a ritual near the Secret Garden, a scream pierced the air. By morning, the court lady was gone. Some say she opened a door that was never meant to be opened—one connecting the physical world to another realm.
They sealed the door soon after. But visitors, especially those who stray near the Hidden Garden after dusk, have claimed to hear footsteps, weeping, and once, a whisper asking, “Did he wait for me?”
I returned alone a week later, determined to see the door again. The ivy had grown thicker, and I felt a strange chill. As I stood in silence, I heard something—a soft knock, from the other side.
I didn’t wait to find out more.
Historical Background:
