"Change the Title"... Wonju City Upset Over Upcoming Movie 'Chiaksan'

'Horror Movie Based on the "18 Pieces Serial Murder Case"
City Requests "Title Change Due to Image Damage Concerns"'

Regarding the upcoming horror film 'Chiaksan' set to be released next month, Wonju City has taken a strong stance due to concerns over damage to the image of Chiaksan National Park and the local area.

On the 24th, Wonju City announced that it conveyed to the film production company its concerns that false rumors at the level of urban legends might cast a negative image on Chiaksan National Park, a representative tourist resource, and the region. The city also requested a title change during a recent meeting with the production company representatives. Additionally, the city is exploring measures to prevent image damage in advance, such as inserting phrases like 'This is a work of fiction' or 'This has no relation to the region' at the beginning of the film.

National Park Chiaksan
Photo by Yonhap News

The reason Wonju City has taken such a strong stance is that the film is based on the Chiaksan urban legend inspired by the '18-piece serial murder.' The movie 'Chiaksan' is a horror film depicting strange events that happen to members of a mountain biking club visiting Chiaksan, based on a fictional urban legend that 10 bodies dismembered into 18 pieces were secretly investigated after being found at intervals over several days in Chiaksan 30 years ago, in 1980.

Police: "No actual incidents resembling the film's content"

Regarding the film, local police have been inundated with inquiries asking whether the events actually occurred or if similar incidents have happened. The police stated that these are merely rumors with no factual basis. A police officer told Yonhap News Agency, "There is no record of any incident resembling the film's content, and even after inquiring with retired police detectives and coroners, no incidents that could have served as a motif were recalled."

Movie Poster of 'Chiaksan'

There have been past controversies over film titles named after locations. The 2018 horror film 'Gonjiam,' set in Gonjiam Psychiatric Hospital in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, and the 2016 film 'Gokseong,' named after Gokseong County in Jeollanam-do, both sparked debates over damage to local images. In the case of 'Gonjiam,' the hospital owner filed an injunction to ban the screening before its release, claiming it could hinder the sale of the building, but the request was dismissed. For 'Gokseong,' although the spatial setting was indeed Gokseong County, the film used a different hanja character '곡성(哭聲)' to possibly prevent damage to the local image.

In particular, Wonju City is concerned that using the name 'Chiaksan' as the film title could cause significant damage to the image, as the name is widely used for local specialty products and tourist attractions such as Chiaksan Hanwoo beef, Chiaksan peaches, pears, apples, and the Chiaksan Dullegil trail.

A Wonju City official said, "Chiaksan is one of the most renowned mountains nationwide and a national park, so any damage to its image would be a significant loss for the region. We are persuading the film production company to ensure the city's position and requests are reflected."

The film 'Chiaksan,' starring Yoon Kyun-sang, Kim Ye-won, and Yeon Je-wook, and directed by Kim Seon-woong, is scheduled for release on September 13.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.