Kriti Mehrotra
As a Netflix South Korea original living up to its title in nearly every way imaginable, ‘Zombieverse’ can only be described as a half-drama, half-reality entertainment series unlike any other. That’s because it follows ten distinct public personalities as they fight for survival upon suddenly, unwittingly finding themselves in the midst of a “zombie outbreak” around wondrous Seoul. We say around due to the fact this cast does end up in nearby areas and at a theme park at different points, making us ponder whether these are even real places or not — so, here’s what we know.
Real Hwangchon-Ri vs. Show’s Version
Portrayed in the production as a relatively small countryside town outside of Seoul that doesn’t really allow too many visitors to enter, Hwangchon-Ri initially came across as perfectly quaint. That is, until it came to light the “zombie virus” had spread across this rather secluded dingy site weeks before it actually hit any major city, making it much more dangerous than previously imagined. This was particularly because the town’s chief Lee Jun-Hyeok himself tried his best to keep it a secret owing to the infection of his own mother, just to ultimately result in him getting bitten too.
However, even though a place by the precise name of Hwangchon-Ri does exist in South Korea in real life too, it’s apparently completely different from what we saw on our screens in the show. In fact, nearly 70 miles (112 km) from Seoul, this beautiful South Chungcheong village is surrounded by such magnificent mountains and turquoise waters that it’s kind of an ideal vacation spot. Yet since it also doesn’t lack infrastructure in any way, shape, or form, it has countless amenities with its own unique provincial charm to offer a sense of cozy comfort to locals and tourists alike.
In other words, the real and reel Hwangchon-Ri are essentially opposites, quite unlike the theme park we get introduced to in episode 7 through episode 8 — after all, it’s Incheon’ Wolmi Theme Park. Of course, this Wolmimunhwa-ro, Jung-gu, amusement destination isn’t overrun with zombies in actuality, yet its core setting, rides, as well as colorful beauty is the same as it is in the original series.
Read More: Ro Hong-chul: Where is Zombieverse Participant Now?
