Korean horror webtoons have been around for a while. However, these scary Korean webtoons didn’t go viral until a short Korean horror webtoon created by Horang called Bongcheon-dong Ghost came out in 2011. It was an urban ghost story that used animation as jump scares. It had 3D effects, such as a ghost’s hand appearing to jump off your screen. Once this webtoon was translated into English, it quickly went viral worldwide. This led to the rise in the horror genre, and it was after this point you will find some of the scariest Korean webtoons of all time. Horror webtoons in Korea spent the following decade going mainstream because Netflix has adapted them into horror series on their streaming platform. Therefore, as a visual medium, webtoons are perfect for the horror genre with their vertical scroll-down reading style.
The truly chilling stories in the webtoons listed below will have you up well past your bedtime. We all know that finding something scary is truly subjective, as ghosts might scare some but not all readers. However, there is no denying that each webtoon has enough nightmare fuel to warrant its place on this list. Moreover, most of these horror webtoons are available in English on Naver Webtoons. If you have any other recommendations, please let us know.
Tales of the Unusual
Seongdae Oh wrote Tales of the Unusual. It is our choice for #1 on the list of the scariest Korean webtoons. It is an extensive collection of weird horrific short stories where each could be its webtoon. The best stories are Beauty Water (pictured above), My Wife’s Memories, Scene Box, Human Door, Friends, The Painting, and Murderous Rage. All the short stories do a great job of showing the evil side of people. Topics range from greed and envy to jealousy and rage.
Furthermore, many characters are some of the most unlikeable characters in all of Manwha. Seongdae Oh has become the Stephen King of Webtoons. The series is updated every week.
Author: Oh Seongdae
Illustrator: Oh Seongdae
Publisher: LINE Webtoon
Sweet Home
Sweet Home was written by Youngchan Hwang and illustrated by Carnby Kim. It is one of the few Korean horror webtoons picked up by Netflix. It is about a high school student who is forced to leave his home and fights monsters looking to kill the human race. He has to band together with a small group of survivors who can become monsters at any moment. Therefore, it has a slight similarity to The Walking Dead. The webtoon is just as gruesome and dark and has many mind-blowing plot twists. It is the best end-of-the-world Korean webtoon you are going to read.
Author: Youngchan Hwang
Illustrator: Carnby Kim
Publisher: LINE Webtoon
Bastard
Bastard was written by Youngchan Hwang and illustrated by Carnby Kim. It is a story about a boy trying to protect a girl he likes from his serial killer father. Each episode brings something new and is filled with action. Like many webtoons on this list, it is filled with plot twists. However, unlike some of the others, you will not see many of these plot twists coming. That shows just how good the writing is. This story is so intense that the father is seen as a very kind man, which makes his true intentions that much more shocking. Furthermore, it has one of the best endings on this list. It was even turned into a Korean anime worth checking out.
Author: Hwang Youngchan
Illustrator: Carnby Kim
Publisher: LINE Webtoon
Killstagram
Killstagram is written by Ryoung and is a story about a pretty girl who is a social media influencer stalked by a serial killer. It does a great job of showing the dangers of social media. This includes doxing, stalking, and overall harassment. The art style is fantastic and has plenty of “jump scares” that ultimately lead to false alarms. However, there are too many plot twists, but a few are mind-bending and do a great job of keeping you hooked. It contains strong language and graphic violence, so be prepared.
Author: Ryoung
Illustrator: Ryoung
Publisher: LINE Webtoon
Friday: Forbidden Tales
Friday: Forbidden Tales is written by Jinsoo Bae. Similar to Tales of the Unusual, it is a collection of stories. However, think of it more like The Twilight Zone. Most of the stories involve a terrifying, thought-provoking, and creepy twist. In addition, the simple artwork does a great job of showcasing the bizarre characters. Some of our recommended stories on Friday: Forbidden Tales include The Room, Mama’s Boy, The Outcast, and The Trading Center.
Author: Bae Jinsoo
Illustrator: Bae Jinsoo
Publisher: LINE Webtoon
Ghost Teller
Ghost Teller is written by QTT and is a collection of stories told by five ghosts and one grim ripper. Each takes turns telling their stories about the evils of humanity. So basically, this is not a “ghost story” but a “human story” told by ghosts. In addition, many of their stories are more heartbreaking than scary and will leave you angry to be human. However, the illustrations make each of these stories stand out. Furthermore, the artwork does a great job of keeping the stories compelling and hard to predict.
Author: QTT
Illustrator: QTT
Publisher: LINE Webtoon
HIVE
HIVE is written by Kyusam Kim. It is a story about an office worker whose life changes dramatically when his city is invaded by giant insects that turn humans into insect zombies. Those that like military-style fighting and strategy will love this Korean webtoon. Moreover, it is one of the best invasion stories and reminds us of the blockbuster film A Quiet Place. It has a great story and while it does not offer the traditional jump scares as some of the others on this list, it is still creepy and has its share of plot twists.
Author: Kyusam Kim
Illustrator: Kyusam Kim
Publisher: LINE Webtoon
Dead Days
Dead Days is written by Dey. If you are a fan of zombie apocalypse storylines, this is the webtoon for you. However, this webtoon goes a bit deeper, and the whole webtoon is filled with messages and critical commentary about the world we live in today. The main character is not easy to root for; however, as the story continues, you understand why he behaves the way he does. We won’t spoil the twist, but it makes you think this storyline could happen someday.
Author: Dey
Illustrator: Dey
Publisher: LINE Webtoon
Horang’s Nightmare
Horang’s Nightmare is written by Horang and is one of the shorter horror webtoons on this list. It has ten chapters, and each chapter has a different story. However, the 3D artwork in each story is fantastic, and it has some of the most intense “jump stares” you will find in a webtoon. Therefore, as the reader scrolls down the webtoon, the 3D animation goes into effect. Furthermore, some of these stories have audio to intensify your reading experience. This could be the future of horror webtoons for years to come. Too bad there are only ten stories, or this would be higher in the rankings. Some of our favorite chapters include 4 and 9.
Author: Horang
Illustrator: Horang
Publisher: LINE Webtoon
The Red Book
The Red Book is written by Rangddo and might be the most underrated horror webtoon on this list of the scariest Korean webtoons. The stories are represented more through the graphics than through text. Therefore it is a collection of short tales that are very strange yet creepy. However, it can bring some humor which makes it unique. Moreover, many of the stories a left open-ended, and it is up to the reader to determine what will happen to the characters.
Author: Rangddo
Illustrator: Rangddo
Publisher: LINE Webtoon
