The task was simple.
It involved capturing frames from the broadcasted scene.
Although the footage was shot at 60 frames per second, it was edited to around 24 to 30 frames per second for broadcast, making the ghost’s appearance even more fleeting.
Seung Hyeon pinpointed that exact moment and slowed it down.
Rather than stretching the 60fps footage, he slowed down the final broadcast version, which was already edited to 30fps.
This approach gave it a raw, unpolished feel, as though it hadn’t been edited at all.
With the edited clip ready, Seung Hyeon created a new account and uploaded the footage to a popular community site, [Handside].
He carefully posed as a regular viewer, trying his best to appear as an amateur rather than a professional.
The post quickly began to attract attention.
Stories of ghosts or ghostly voices captured in broadcasts or music were always fascinating topics for the community.
Soon after, netizens who saw Seung Hyeon’s post began identifying the ghost from [Beautiful Landscapes] and posting their findings on their blogs or forums.
The post Seung Hyeon uploaded began spreading like wildfire.
Community Post: [Warning: Horror] Chilling scene caught in a documentary.
(GIF)
What’s that in the bottom-right corner??
– ???? What is this? Is it real?
└ As if it’s real. Another scam to sell products, I bet.
– Isn’t this Taeyoung Reservoir? That place is already famous.
└ 222 Yeah, it looks like Taeyoung Town. I once saw a ghost there while fishing.
└ Wow, bro, tell us the story.
– What is this? A horror movie?
└ Nope, just a cable documentary called Beautiful Landscapes.
└ Why does the uploader watch weird stuff like that?
– OMG, what’s with the woman? Super creepy.
Unsurprisingly, a heated debate erupted in the comments section among the netizens.
[Urban Legend]: Is the scene from the above documentary a hoax?
– One vote for hoax.
└ Agreed.
– Which no-name station is RBS anyway???
– Looks fake to me.
– It could have been edited.
└ Anyone with basic editing skills would know this isn’t something easily edited. Stop spouting nonsense in the comments.
└ Even if I don’t know how they set the frame rate, it seems entirely possible.
└ Just look at the changing background. You can tell it’s not edited.
As discussions over whether it was fake erupted in the comments, the keywords associated with the post experienced an explosive surge in searches.
Within just a few days, Seung Hyeon’s original post made it onto various portal sites’ ‘Hot Issue Best’ lists.
Seeing the skyrocketing view count, Seung Hyeon added a prepared comment:
– Guys, I found the full version on YouTube. http://www.~ It doesn’t seem fake.
– OMG, so creepy.
– Check at 3:35; that’s where the clip is from. It’s so quick, so slow it down and pause at that exact moment.
– I commented earlier about seeing a ghost while fishing. It looks exactly the same.
└ What’s this about seeing a ghost while fishing???
└ Went night fishing with my girlfriend, saw a ghost, and freaked out. It didn’t even have eyes.
As the issue gained traction, netizens rushed to rewatch the [Beautiful Landscapes – Taeyoung Town Episode] on the broadcasting station’s website, causing a spike in traffic for their replay service.
Thanks to this, [Beautiful Landscapes] outperformed lifestyle shows and other entertainment programs airing on major channels at the same time.
Interestingly, the reaction on YouTube was even more significant.
As the Taeyoung Reservoir became a hot topic on [Handside], clips from [Beautiful Landscapes] uploaded on RBS’s YouTube channel, along with videos created by cyber reporters, saw massive spikes in views.
The YouTube clip featuring the ghostly moment garnered 500,000 views in a single day.
Summary videos combining community posts and additional information reached 100,000 views in just half a day.
Short-form videos (shorts) condensed from the footage hit an impressive 1 million views.
While this didn’t translate into dramatic financial gains, it became a critical ‘opportunity’ for RBS, a small-scale broadcasting station, to gain attention.
***
Ultimately, as Seung Hyeon had calculated, following the Taeyoung Town episode broadcast, RBS’s cultural programming director, Kim Baekchun, summoned Seung Hyeon and his direct superior, CP Lee Yeolsang.
Kim Baekchun, with his barcode-like bald hairstyle and a large protruding belly, was waiting for them.
He was sitting at his desk, holding a printout of the trending community posts and comments.
Opposite him stood CP Lee Yeolsang and Seung Hyeon.
Kim Baekchun, the cultural programming director, adjusted his magnifying glasses and examined the comments before asking,
“This… it’s not fake, right?”
“No, it’s not,”
Seung Hyeon answered without a moment’s hesitation.
“How did this happen? Explain it properly.”
“We set up to film the road and scenery at the entrance of Taeyoung Town. We recorded at 60 frames per second, and in about 5 frames of the footage, something strange appeared.”
“Human eyes can’t perceive anything beyond 30 frames per second. How did you catch that?”
Kim Baekchun questioned with a suspicious look.
“That’s one of his specialties—spotting things in a flash. Before joining us, he worked at drama and film studios doing QC, finding continuity errors. He’s also great at detecting unusual smells or sounds,”
CP Lee Yeolsang interjected to answer for him.
Kim Baekchun, wearing a serious expression, reviewed the posts again.
“Did you, Choi Seung Hyeon, spread this online?”
“W-what?”
“What kind of viewer would be able to spot something like this? Only the people who filmed or edited it could possibly find it.”
Kim Baekchun’s words, CP Lee Yeolsang glared at Seung Hyeon.
“Well, uh—”
“Anyway, thanks to this, the ‘replay’ views skyrocketed, so it worked out well in the end.”
“Yes.”
Seung Hyeon lowered his head and responded.
“If it turns out to be a problem and you really were the one who posted it—then this stays between the three of us. Got it?”
“…Yes, understood.”
“Why does your answer sound hesitant? Does anyone else know?”
“Um… our AD, Park Tae Jeong,”
“Ha! So, you two were scheming together, huh?”
Kim Baekchun let out a sigh before snapping his head to the side.
“You little—!”
CP Lee Yeolsang pinched Seung Hyeon’s side hard.
After a brief silence, Kim Baekchun glanced at Seung Hyeon.
“You and that Park Tae Jeong worked on [Ghostism] before, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Another moment of silence passed.
Kim Baekchun scratched his forehead in mild irritation before speaking.
“Look, no matter how exciting this issue is, we can’t give [Beautiful Landscapes] any special treatment. Suddenly changing the program’s direction is out of the question—other producers would notice.”
He clearly understood the reason behind Seung Hyeon’s actions.
“Yes, yes, of course,”
Seung Hyeon nodded in agreement.
“Just focus on filming [Beautiful Landscapes]. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Kim Baekchun raised his index finger assertively.
In that moment, Seung Hyeon sensed a deeper implication behind his words—it was a veiled encouragement to continue his so-called ‘nonsense.’
“Yes, I got it,”
Seung Hyeon replied, suppressing a grin.
“I’m making myself clear: no nonsense,”
“Yes, sir!”
Hearing Seung Hyeon’s bold response, Kim Baekchun slammed the desk and left the office.
Left alone in the office, CP Lee Yeolsang and Seung Hyeon exchanged glances.
“I got the message, right?”
Seung Hyeon asked.
“Just don’t get caught being sloppy about it,”
Lee Yeolsang replied, giving Seung Hyeon a firm pat on the back before leaving the room.
In short, the message was clear: keep creating ‘buzz’ around the program.
However, it was imperative that no one discovered the person stirring the discussions on the community platforms was the program’s producer.
With a smile, Seung Hyeon nodded in understanding.
***
“Where should we film for the eighth episode?”
Tae Jeong asked, seated in a shared office within the cultural programming department.
“I’m not sure yet,”
Seung Hyeon sat in front of the computer, glancing at the monitor as he gave a half-hearted response.
Typically, regular programs were assigned dedicated production offices, but since [Beautiful Landscapes] had only two staff members and dismal ratings, they were relegated to a corner of the shared office used by other employees.
The rumor that [Beautiful Landscapes] was a program slated for cancellation within RBS’s cultural programming division wasn’t unfounded.
Though the recent ghost issue had brought some attention to the program, most people didn’t think much of it.
After all, a ghost being caught on camera would inevitably spark debates about authenticity, and it was unlikely the buzz would carry into the next episode.
This was precisely the key point.
Seung Hyeon resolved to ensure the buzz continued into the next episode.
“Got any good ideas?”
Tae Jeong asked, leaning back in his chair.
“Hm, not sure—”
Seung Hyeon sighed, scrolling through his computer files.
He started reviewing submissions received during the [Ghostism] shoot.
Several folders and photo lists flashed by on the screen.
One particular photo caught his attention: a traditional Korean hanok and a blurry image of a ghost.
[Sangsu Yoon Family Shrine]
Located in Isoe Township, Sangsu County, Andong City, Gyeongsangbuk Province.
This was a place where ancestral tablets of the noble Sangsu Yoon family were enshrined. However, it was abandoned during the late Joseon dynasty due to accusations of treason.
It is said that the ghost of a noblewoman from the Joseon era appears here.
The submission file included a photo with the grainy quality typical of early 2000s digital cameras.
The hanok, with its broken roof tiles and split wooden pillars, exuded a shabby yet ancient charm.
Next to it stood another hanok, one that evoked the grandeur of a noble estate.
However, it too had been overtaken by nature, creating an eerie yet elegant atmosphere.
