World Urban Legend

On Friday, September 11, 1998, around 2 PM, a Vapor Cloud Explosion (VCE) occurred at an LPG charging station near Naedong Intersection in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. The incident resulted in one death and 96 injuries, making it a major disaster. First Explosion While the safety manager was absent, the tank lorry driver opened the vent valve and attempted a transfer operation. During this process, the hose coupling detached and leaked gas. A taxi nearby started its engine, and the resulting spark ignited the gas, causing the first explosion. Second Explosion At 2:23 PM, while emergency services were attempting to extinguish the fire, the tank lorry exploded, producing a fireball over 50 meters in diameter. This engulfed nearby factories and vehicles in flames, causing about 60 additional injuries. The explosion was dramatically captured on camera by a passing KBS helicopter, becoming a globally recognized exclusive. Third Explosion At 2:24 PM, an underground buried buta...

  Korean Air Flight 801 Crash Overview The Korean Air Flight 801 crash occurred on August 6, 1997, when a Boeing 747-3B5 departing from Gimpo International Airport crashed while attempting to land at Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport in Guam. Out of 254 people on board, 229 perished in the accident. This aircraft was notable for being Korea’s first B747 model with a Special Upper Deck (SUD) structure. Accident Sequence Normally, Airbus A300-600R was used for this route, but due to peak season demand, a larger Boeing 747-3B5 was deployed temporarily. The aircraft was scheduled to arrive at 1:42 PM Guam time, but heavy rain was falling in the area. The control tower notified the crew that the glide slope was inoperative due to maintenance. During the landing approach, a false glide slope signal was received in the cockpit, confusing the pilots. Consequently, altitude confirmation procedures were skipped, and the aircraft began descending more rapidly than regulations allowe...

  2002 South Korea Railway Chain Accident: "Saemaulho 162" On May 1, 2002, South Korea witnessed a series of railway accidents that would go down in history as one of the most bizarre and tragic incidents. The event resulted in three fatalities from a single train, a case that remains unparalleled globally. Incident Overview The train in question was the old Saemaulho #162, which had departed from Yeosu Station on the Jeolla Line at 10:20 AM, scheduled to arrive at Seoul Station at 3:51 PM. The accident began less than 30 minutes after departure when the first fatality occurred. First Incident: Yeohung Crossing near Yulchon Station At 10:46 AM, 26 minutes after departure from Yeosu Station, the first accident occurred near Yulchon Station on the Jeolla Line. An 81-year-old woman was struck and killed by the train at Yeohung Crossing. At this point, it seemed like a typical crossing accident, but it was only the beginning of the series. Second Incident: Ikokcheon Bridge near S...

 The Sungnyemun Arson Incident (崇禮門放火事件) took place from February 10 to February 11, 2008, when the Sungnyemun gate was completely destroyed by arson. The arsonist was identified as 69-year-old Chae Jong-ki from Chilgok, Gyeongbuk, who was arrested and convicted. The fire broke out around 8:40 PM on February 10, 2008. Chae Jong-ki reportedly poured gasoline and ignited it with a lighter, which caused the fire to start on the second floor of Sungnyemun. The fire spread quickly, and despite efforts by 32 fire trucks and 128 firefighters to suppress the flames, the second floor collapsed at around 12:40 AM the next day. The fire spread to the first floor, and within five hours, the entire structure, except for the stone foundation, was destroyed. Approximately 90% of the second-floor gatehouse and 10% of the first-floor gatehouse were damaged. During the fire suppression, the plaque hanging on the gate was removed by firefighters, but it was damaged during the process. The plaque, whi...

 On January 23, 1971, a hijacking incident occurred when a Korean Air Fokker F27, with 55 passengers and 5 crew members aboard, was hijacked while en route from Sokcho to Gimpo. The plane was forced into a crisis when a hijacker, Kim Sang-tae, armed with bombs, took control of the aircraft at an altitude of 10,000 feet over Hongcheon. The hijacker demanded that the pilots turn the aircraft towards North Korea. Despite the dire situation, the quick thinking and courage of the crew members and passengers averted a disaster. This event became a turning point in highlighting the sacrifices made by individuals in times of extreme crisis. Kim Sang-tae, holding bombs, threatened the pilots to change the plane's course toward North Korea. The pilots pretended to comply with the hijacker’s demands, but in reality, they were waiting for emergency intervention from the South Korean Air Force. Two F-5 fighter jets were dispatched to intercept the aircraft. In the meantime, the cabin crew, incl...

 The 1·21 Incident (also known as the Kim Shin-jo Incident) occurred on January 21, 1968, when 31 armed soldiers from North Korea's 124th Unit attempted to assassinate President Park Chung-hee by infiltrating the Blue House, but the attempt failed. On the night of January 17, the infiltrators crossed the Demilitarized Zone and reached near the Blue House by 9:30 PM on January 21. When they were discovered by police during a routine checkpoint near Cheongun-dong, a gunfight ensued. A joint military and police operation was carried out to capture them. In the end, 29 of the 31 infiltrators were killed, one escaped to North Korea, and one was captured alive. During this operation, 30 civilians were killed, and 52 were injured. As a result of the incident, South Korea created the Civil Defense Reserve, the Army 3rd Military Academy, the Combat Police Force, and the 684th Unit. Civilian access to the areas near the Blue House, including Inwangsan and Bukaksan, was restricted for enhance...

 In 2015, a group of five Koreans killed a Korean woman, Lee Mi-ra (41), by beating her in a hotel room in Frankfurt, Germany. The motive for the incident was a Protestant exorcism ritual, as the group believed that Lee was possessed by evil spirits and sought to drive them out. The sequence of events is as follows: Lee Mi-ra, her husband Nam Hak-kyu (42), their two sons (15 and 13), along with Min Ji-young (41) and her two sons (15 and 14), and Mr. Kim (44) with his children (a 21-year-old son and a 19-year-old daughter), totaling ten people, arrived in Germany. They rented a house in the western part of Frankfurt am Main, avoiding contact with the outside world and not speaking English or German. Neighbors reported witnessing the group praying loudly at night, making strange noises. A week after their arrival in Germany, Lee's younger son began to claim that he was possessed by a ghost. Mr. Kim believed this and suggested that the group perform an exorcism. When Lee's second ...

 On March 26, 1991, five elementary school students living in the Seongseo area of Daegu (currently Daegu Metropolitan City), went missing after climbing Waryong Mountain to collect salamander eggs. Eleven and a half years later, on September 26, 2002, their skeletal remains were discovered. Due to a media error, the salamander eggs were initially reported as frog eggs, leading the children to be widely known as the "Frog Boys." The case, which failed to identify the victims or the perpetrator for years, gained national attention but was buried due to a combination of the era's issues and misdirected investigations. This incident, along with the Hwaseong Serial Murders and the Lee Hyun-ho Kidnapping and Murder case, is considered one of South Korea's three most infamous unsolved cases. While the Hwaseong Serial Murders eventually led to a breakthrough with DNA evidence, and the Lee Hyun-ho case had clear motives and suspects, the "Frog Boys" case remained a ...

 On April 20, 2005, an incident occurred at the Seoul Children's Grand Park where six Asian elephants escaped, unfolding like a scene from a comedic novel. That day, while the elephants were rehearsing for a performance, they were startled by a flock of pigeons and staged a dramatic escape through an open gate. Like a scene from a movie, the elephants roamed freely in the city, surprising onlookers. Three of them, while being led back by their trainers, suddenly changed direction and charged into a nearby restaurant called Miga, causing chaos. Inside the restaurant, pandemonium erupted, and a citizen was knocked over by an elephant's trunk, colliding with an iron gate and sustaining injuries. Fortunately, he received a settlement through insurance. This incident was featured on the Discovery Channel's "Destroyed in Seconds," and a Japanese broadcaster even made a documentary about the remodeling process that followed. The restaurant later reopened under the name ...

 On April 19, 1993, a significant incident occurred in the Republic of Korea, where Private Lim Chae-seong, serving in the armored company of the 15th Infantry Division located in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province, deserted his unit with weapons. Lim stole a K1 submachine gun, approximately 130 rounds of live ammunition, and 22 grenades, taking hostages in Cheorwon and heading to Seoul in a Kia Besta van. This incident unfolded in an unprecedentedly tense situation, reminiscent of a scene from the movie "Terminator." Disguised as a civilian, Lim passed through several checkpoints and eventually reached Seoul. In Hyehwa-dong, while being pursued by the military, he engaged in urban warfare, opening fire on civilians with his gun and grenades when he was discovered. At that time, downtown Seoul turned into a battlefield, and people fled in panic. Although the police surrounded him, they were no match for Lim's K1 submachine gun with their handguns, and eventually, a special forces...

The incident occurred in 1982 in the Gyeongsangnam-do Uiryeong-gun Gungnyu-myeon area, involving a shooting spree and mass murder by police officer Woo Beom-gon. It is evaluated as a stark representation of the state of the South Korean police at the time. There was criticism for hiring someone with mental issues as a police officer. While citizens were being shot and seriously injured, the police were enjoying hospitality at a hot spring. Police negligence was rampant, with officers drinking during work hours. Additionally, the police chief was also absent due to hospitality. The management was so lax that the key to the armory was lost, increasing the number of casualties. Instead of trying to catch the perpetrator, the police fled and hid away from the crime scene, and the aftermath of the incident was a complete mess. Despite being a significant event that was once listed in the Guinness World Records, no white paper was compiled. The exact number of casualties was not recorded. Af...