Ghost Rides: Abandoned Parks in South Korea

"QUANTUM SHOT" #500
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"Final Destination", Asian Style

When we published Part 1 of our "Abandoned Amusement Parks" series, we received numerous tips about spooky post-apocalyptic fun places around the world, and we intend to gradually spotlight the craziest of that bunch. Let's start in South Korea, as Jon Dunbar sends us his account of exploring various dilapidated parks around Seoul (slowly expiring, and not used as movie sets yet)

UPDATE:This info is from Suwon City Hall: "the parks mentioned in the article are scheduled to be developed as a self-supporting new town with general administrative complexes and high-tech industrial sites. To start the foundation work for development, the parks were closed in the winter of 2007." This is what's it going to look like:

See the official site here

...and these interesting sites will be removed forever. So here is the opportunity to see them before they are gone and appreciate their hidden beauty:

Woncheon Lakeland in Suwon (a small town of 1 million people that lies about 30 minutes south of Seoul). Not just one, but two old amusement parks lie there, full of surreal and bizarre sights. It starts pretty normal, at the park gate (slightly dented on right side - maybe a truck took a turn too fast)

More weird gateways appear, and then - bingo! - a "castle of horror":

Giant Pez dispensers! no less:

The Mini-Car control room sports (half of) a spooky clown, and a big red button, labeled in Italian:

The cars are filthy and covered in dust, but have a nice variety - from bikes to fire engines:

This upside-down boat ride looks pretty rickety (good to climb up while escaping from some raving maniac in the moonlight) -

Funny and creepy details lurk at every step:

Something reflective and very avantgarde... and more great dusty control rooms (which say "Cast Only") -

Enter this crazy "smiling squirrel" cabin and never come out again:

"Medical sensitivity" seems to strike from behind:

... and maybe they meant "not allowed to GET pregnant?"

False advertising:

Urinals? No, "Jumping Frog" rides (an open mouth with a single red tooth, ok?) -

That frog has its proportions all screwed up:

Looks like something from "Happy Tree Friends" cartoon:

Crying natives... and a doorway into the "Castle of Horror" -

Walls covered in eyeballs and a submerged lower level:

Nearby is the abandoned floating restaurant:

... and another one:

Snake Lights - and an eagle with kegs of beer...

Jon Dunbar also recently revisited the Okpo Land on Southern Korean island of Geoje (which we covered in Part 1) - taking pictures of other creepy / weird rides there: