Okpo Land: The Surprising Truth Behind the Mystery

Among the iconic abandoned theme parks of the world, it is hard to grasp why Okpo Land became as widely known as it did. The park is quite humble, having all of the essentials such as a carousel, a roller coaster, and plenty of ivy, but it's not of exceptional size. Compared to Six Flag New Orleans, Gulliver's Kingdom, or other epochal locations, Okpo Land does not have much to offer on paper. Even in it’s prime (if it ever had one), it would be difficult to classify Okpo Land even as a second-rate amusement park, perhaps third-rate would be more fitting. Conceivably the imagery of decayed uncanny cartoon faces on rides or even the mythology associated with the shoddy park contributes to its prominence.

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Okpo Land (옥포랜드) was located on an island about 50 km outside Busan the which is the second-largest municipality in South Korea. While Geojedo (거제도) is an island, it is still connected to the mainland by bridges and causeways. Still, the population from which visitors would be drawn to the park was quite small. The podcast The Abandoned Carousel has already done a deep-dive into the park's history ¹ . With very little factual information available online, there is not much that could be contributed that has not already been thoroughly discussed by the The Abandoned Carousel's excellent treatment. Photos posted here were taken during two visits in the fall of 2011. Within only a month or two, the park was demolished ² , and hardly a shred of evidence now remains of its previous existence. ¹

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As stated before, Okpo Land was not an expansive park and featured only a few star attractions. Some of the rides featured faces of cartoon animals that embodied such poor artistry that they are simultaneously comical and eerie. While the elevated “Duck Sky Cycle” ride is the most iconic, Okpo Land's most sophisticated ride would be the squirrel roller coaster.

Considering the location on a hill overlooking a harbor, the view from the elevation of the coaster was spectacular. It is difficult to name a coaster elsewhere with a view that can compete. For the years prior to demolition, the coasters train was stranded on the chain lift on the way to the apex of the track, apparently permanently rusted into place.¹

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How and why it came to rest in that specific and unusual spot remains a mystery. Other rides include the Viking Ship, the rotating "Space Fighters", bumper cars, and of course a carousel. The park also incorporated other recreational facilities such as a pool house with sauna and hot tubs and an arcade.

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It is certain that the park was only open for a few years in the late ’90s. It is reported that Okpo Land opened in 1996,³ so the Asian Financial crisis which struck the following year surely was a contributing factor to its quick demise. ^1,4 Financial difficulties may not have been the only trouble afflicting the business of the amusement park. The lore associated with Okpo Land speaks of multiple deaths occurring on rides at the park. ^1,5

On what would be the final day the park was open, a car on the elevated duck ride fell off the tracks resulting in the death of a child according to the legend. Immediately the park closed with rides abandoned in-place like a stopped clock. Even the owner of the park fled to avoid any consequences. All of this of course is urban legend and it has never been verified that even a single death or other mishap occurred.^1,6,7

This tale reportedly originated on a German photographers blog documenting one of the earliest recorded visits to the park, but can no longer be found archived online. What is certain is that the park closed in 1999 and afterward only sat to crumble ^1,4 as it was gradually consumed by the vines on the surrounding hillside.

There are no known photos from the park during the few years it was open, and published photos and reports of explorations can only be found online from as early as 2007 or 2008. ^1,8 By the time the park had been closed a decade, Okpo Land had become a favorite destination for ruin enthusiasts and other users ⁹ both locally and internationally. Arguably, the park made more of a name for itself as a ruin than as a functioning amusement park.

After razing, plans to redevelop the land into a hotel or other entertainment complex never moved forward. ^1,4 To this day the site of the former park is an empty overgrown lot with no indication of its infamy as a park which was more renowned for its dereliction and macabre legends than for its original conception as a family-friendly theme park.

Please comment or get in contact if you have definitive information or photos from the years Okpo Land was in operation, or from the time shortly after it's closure.

In the next post, you can gaze at the only existing high-resolution scans of the pages of the promotional brochure for Okpo Land.

1. Ashley. Okpo Land. The Abandoned Carousel. Published October 30, 2019. Accessed August 24, 2020.
2. Lee S. 대우조선해양, 거제 옥포에 호텔 신축 - 뉴스앤거제. News & Geoje. Published December 12, 2011. Accessed August 30, 2020.
3. Jeon E-S. 명물이 흉물된 두 시설, 재개발 해법없나? - 뉴스앤거제. News & Geoje. Published May 12, 2011. Accessed August 30, 2020.
4. Yoon K. 거제, 변변한 ‘놀거리 시설’이 없다 - 오마이뉴스. OhmyNews. Published January 5, 2017. Accessed August 30, 2020.
5. Okpo Land. Creepypasta Wiki. Accessed August 24, 2020.
6. Twitch J. The 10 Dos and 20 Dont’s of Urban Exploration in Korea. Broke In Korea. 2014;(17):12-13.
7. Twitch J. Geojedo: What’s their excuse? Broke In Korea. 2011;(12):19.
8. Twitch J. Voyage to Okpo Land. Broke In Korea. 2008;(6):12-13.
9. 전국 서바이벌 대회 거제서 열린다 - 거제타임즈. Geoje Times. Published September 13, 2008. Accessed August 30, 2020.