‘Gyeongseong Creature’: What’s Fact & What’s Fiction in This Historical Drama?

Netflix keeps expanding its foreign library, especially with South Korean shows, which are some of the most critically acclaimed on the platform. The latest in its lineup, set to arrive on December 22, is ‘Gyeongseong Creature.’ ‘Gyeongseong Creature’ deals with dark historical themes, set in 1945 Seoul, but it also deals with horrifying creatures that have come to call the city their home. Due to this extremely peculiar setting and theme, a lot of fans are wondering which aspects of the shows are fictionalized. And this is what we’re going to clear up today. 

When & Where does ‘Gyeongseong Creature’ takes place?

‘Gyeongseong Creature’ takes place in the spring of 1945 in Gyeongseong, which is an old historical name for Seoul. The story is set to follow Jang Tae-sang, a wealthy man and the owner of Geumokdang. Geumokdang is rumored to be the best pawn shop in Seoul, with Jang being one of the best informants in the city. Information is valuable, and Jang Tae-sang learned to utilize every piece of rumor to his benefit, amassing terrifying wealth. The other protagonist is Yoon Chaek-ok, who is a specialist in finding missing people, and an unlikely alliance will take place when Seoul is suddenly plagued with a strange creature “born out of greed,” which will threaten the survival not only of the protagonists but the local populace as well. 

The monster is seemingly holed up in a deadly hospital in the basement, and plenty of strange phenomena, including terrible disappearances, have taken place around the area. Both Yoon Chaek-ok and Jang Tae-sang will start investigating the area with professional curiosity. 

What’s real about ‘Gyeongseong Creature’? Is the story based on true events? 

‘Gyeongseong Creature’ is partially based on true events as it took place in 1945 when South Korea was under Japanese rule, and Japan did everything in its power to repress the local populace, as such things always go. Japan’s colonization of Korea officially began with the signing of the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty in 1910, also known as the Eulsa Treaty. 

So why would the Koreans sign such a thing in the first place? Well, the historical context is important. Korea was at the time facing external threats and was also under pressure from Japan; the easy way out was the sign of Korea’s independence and making it one of the Japanese colonies. Prior to the treaty, Japan had already exerted significant influence over Korea through the signing of the Japan-Korea Protectorate Treaty in 1905, which essentially made Korea a protectorate of Japan. This was followed by the establishment of the Japanese Resident-General in Korea, who held substantial power and control, one might say, an unhealthy amount of control.

The period of Japanese colonization was marked with horrific things. If I were to focus on politics, this post would be too long, so I’m going to focus on how your average person was treated instead. 

First, there was no economic justice for Koreans. Most of the local populace was subjected to forced labor in mines, factories, and other industries, and they weren’t compensated fairly, which led to a rise in poverty and decoration of working conditions. The rural Koreans weren’t spared the Japanese “benevolent” hand as well, as many farmers lost their lands to Japanese settlers, which further made the situation in the cities bad due to a large population displacement. 

Korean culture was a kind of “bad word” during the period, as The Japanese government attempted to assimilate Koreans into Japanese culture by suppressing the Korean language and traditions. Korean history and culture were downplayed or erased in education and public life. Politics was a different matter altogether. The Japanese authorities suppressed Korean political dissent and restricted freedom of speech. Koreans were not allowed to organize politically or express anti-Japanese sentiments. 

It was dangerous to point out the discrimination, and many people suffered for it. The consequences of that period haunt the relations between Japan and South Korea to this day.

What’s fictional regarding ‘Gyeongseong Creature’? 

Well, obviously, the monster part of the story is completely made out. ‘Gyeongseong Creature’ is set to revolve around an abandoned hospital in which basement the dark monster lives and horrifying things are done to patients, but considering that the series is still some time away from being released, that’s as much as we know about it. The entire plot wasn’t revealed, but it’s quite possible that the monster in question is an allegory for Japan and its influence over Korea at that time. The monster is frequently described as being born out of “human greed,” so it’s quite possible that the harsh treatment of Koreans actually gave rise to it in the first place. But yes, the supernatural aspect of the show is fictional, and it’s not rooted in reality (as far as we know). 

‘Gyeongseong Creature’ arrives on Netflix on December 22. The show stars Park Seo-joon (Jang Tae-sang), Han So-hee will be playing Yoon Chae-ok. Soo Hyun plays Yukiko Maeda, the mistress of an influential family in the Gyeongseong area. Kim Hae-sook portrays Na Wol-daek, the butler at Geumokdang. Jo Han-chul is Yoon Joong-won, Yoon Chae-ok’s father, and Wi Ha-joon plays Kwon Jun-taek, Jang Tae-sang’s close friend and a soldier. 

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