Award-winning short filmmaker merges Korean water spirit folklore with tech-horror aesthetics in first solo feature, distributed by Showbox

Poster of ‘Salmokji’ (provided by Showbox)

A filmmaker who earned his stripes on the short film circuit is now bringing Korean horror to the commercial multiplex. Salmokji, the feature debut of director Lee Sang-min, is set to open in Korean theaters on April 8, distributed by Showbox. The cast and director unveiled the project at a press presentation held on March 4 at CGV Yongsan iPark Mall in Seoul. Born in 1995, Lee previously directed the segment "Goseonghaeng" in the omnibus horror App the Horror: Young (2026) and won awards at the Chungmuro Film Festival and Busan International Short Film Festival for his short work. Salmokji marks his first solo feature.

The film's premise takes root in the digital everyday. When an unidentified figure is captured in a street-view image of Salmokji reservoir, a filming crew sets out to reshoot the location — only to encounter something lurking in the dark water. Lee has described the concept as springing from a personal habit: browsing street-view maps and wondering what lay beyond a point where the footage simply cut off. That curiosity — the gap between recorded reality and what it can't show — becomes the film's central engine of dread. The premise belongs to a growing wave of tech-inflected horror, where familiar digital tools become portals to the uncanny.

The film's approach to fear is grounded less in supernatural spectacle than in the properties of water itself. Reflected images on the surface, sounds that have no business coming from a reservoir, the dissolution of the boundary between land and water — these form the film's vocabulary of unease. Lee chose a grove of weeping willows as the primary shooting location, exploiting the site's stark contrast between daylight and dark. A 360-degree panoramic camera, motion detectors, and a ghost box device further amplify the spatial disorientation, making it impossible to predict where a threat might emerge.

The ensemble cast balances established talent with rising names. Kim Hye-yoon, known to international audiences through acclaimed Korean drama series, takes the lead as Suin, a character defined by emotional restraint — an approach the actress described as relying on eyes and expression over physical action. Lee Jong-won, in his first lead film role, plays PD Yun-gitae, who answers Suin's call and heads to the reservoir. Kim Jun-han rounds out the core trio as the enigmatic Ugyo-sik, a figure whose presence keeps the audience questioning. Kim Young-sung, Oh Dong-min, Yoon Jae-chan, and Jang Da-ah complete the ensemble as the broader filming crew.

The arrival of Salmokji reflects a broader shift in Korean genre filmmaking. A new generation of directors — one that has earned critical validation through short film festivals before entering commercial production — is expanding what Korean horror can look like thematically and aesthetically. Lee's decision to anchor supernatural folklore (the mulgwisin, a water spirit from Korean tradition that lures victims into the deep) within a contemporary digital setting speaks to both local resonance and international legibility.

As tech horror continues to find traction across global markets, the architecture of Salmokji — folklore meeting found footage aesthetics — positions it as a film of interest beyond Korean borders. How audiences respond to Lee Sang-min's feature debut will be a measure of whether this new generation of horror filmmakers can sustain their festival credibility at scale.

The film will screen in ScreenX and 4DX formats alongside standard theatrical release, reflecting the Korean exhibition industry's ongoing push to differentiate the multiplex experience.

Sources

• JoyNews24, "Director Lee Sang-min, Noted by Film Festivals, to Deliver New Horror World with 'Salmokji'", 2026.03.05

• Sisaweek, "A Story That Begins from Street View… 'Salmokji', Heading Toward Forbidden Space", 2026.03.04

• Sports Chosun, "Director Lee Sang-min (born 1995): 'Filming with Kim Hye-yoon, Lee Jong-won and Cast Was Comfortable'", 2026.03.04