▲ Director Lee Sang-min speaks at a press conference for "Salmokji: Whispering Water" in Seoul on March 4, 2026. (Yonhap)
▲ A poster for "Salmokji: Whispering Water" is seen in this image provided by Showbox. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
▲ Actress Kim Hye-yoon speaks at a press conference for "Salmokji: Whispering Water" in Seoul on March 4, 2026. (Yonhap)

Korean film-press conference

'Salmokji: Whispering Water' brings real-life paranormal hotspot to big screen

By Woo Jae-yeon

SEOUL, March 4 (Yonhap) -- The idea for the upcoming film "Salmokji: Whispering Water" began with a moment of accidental discovery -- director Lee Sang-min came across a road view that abruptly cut off.

A habitual user of a road view service as a brainstorming tool, the director said he was instantly intrigued by the dead end.

"It triggered a chain of questions, like why did it stop there and what might have happened and so forth," Lee said at a press conference on Wednesday for the film, his directorial feature debut.

The movie follows a filming crew, led by Soo-in (Kim Hye-yoon), who travel to a location to complete a shoot within a deadline -- only to find themselves sinking deeper into an inescapable, swamp-like terror as time runs out.

The filming location, Salmokji, is a real place steeped in horror stories. A reservoir in Yesan County, South Chungcheong Province, it is well-known among anglers as a fishing spot. But far more notoriously, it has earned a reputation as a paranormal hotspot with a long history of reported ghost sightings. It has gained wider exposure after it was featured on a TV program dedicated to unverified accounts of the supernatural.

The director said he was captivated by the location for its "eeriness" and the moments "where the boundary between water and land dissolves into near-nothingness."

"The blurring of boundaries was essential in portraying the characters' spellbound state," he said.

"I kept asking myself why people are drawn to places like this, what compels them to go?" the director said. "When making a horror film, I believe it is crucial to ensure that the audience finds the characters' actions convincing, so that they can continue to follow the fear as it unfolds."

The film marks the "Lovely Runner" star Kim's return to the big screen in four years following the 2022 romance film "Ditto." It also marks her first foray into the horror genre.

"I had many scenes in which I had to convey expressions only through eyes and facial expression," she said of the challenges she faced on set. "I tried to remove any hint of vanity and keep the performance restrained."

"Salmokji: Whispering Water" is set for release on April 8.

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