(From left to right) TWICE's Nayeon in the music video for 'TT,' 2NE1's Sandara Park in 'It Hurts' and SHINee's Key in 'Married to the Music.' Screenshots from music video on the YouTube channels of JYP Entertainment, 2NE1 and SMTOWNAs the spooky season creeps in, Halloween brings with it all things eerie—even from the vibrant world of K-pop. Known for its equal emphasis on sound and visuals, South Korea’s pop idol industry has never shied away from venturing into the dark, exploring themes of horror, the supernatural, and psychological suspense.

Below is our rundown of music videos that showcase K-pop’s dark aesthetics. Grab your headphones and prepare to enter a realm where K-pop meets the macabre.

xikers, “Witch” (2024)

In their pivot to a darker concept, xikers dropped the trap-based track “Witch.” As member Junmin shared with ABS-CBN News, the song is “a narrative of a masquerade ball where we dance hand in hand with an unknown being.” The music video sees the boy band in a disorienting maze of hallways and rooms.

Red Velvet, “Cosmic” (2024)

Red Velvet are no stranger to creepy music videos (as seen in “Peek-A-Boo” and “Chill Kill”). For their 10th-anniversary single “Cosmic,” the group draws clear inspiration from Ari Aster’s “Midsommar,” with the girls depicted in a setting reminiscent of the daylight horror film’s cult community.

IVE, “Accendio” (2024)

While not overtly frightening, IVE’s “Accendio” adds a magical twist to the classic struggle between good and evil. The video features the six members facing off against their sinister doppelgängers in a stylish battle to protect a wand, evoking the charm and mystique of magical girl anime.

ENHYPEN, “Bite Me” (2023)

Since its debut in 2020, ENHYPEN has embraced a vampiric concept, and the video for “Bite Me” arguably epitomizes this with its ruined castle setting and floating caskets, among other imagery. In this dark love song, the septet entices a beloved with an invitation to “come kiss me and bite me.”

WATCH: K-pop group ENHYPEN on touring, Pinoy fans, 2024 plans

Purple Kiss, “Zombie” (2021)

In the quirky, funky “Zombie,” Purple Kiss — the latest girl group from Mamamoo’s label RBW — compares the thrill of chasing and being chased to a game of hide-and-seek with zombies, backed by a video that shows the members partying with the living dead.

Golden Child, “Burn It” (2021)

With a six-minute video that plays out like a short film, “Burn It” follows the members of Golden Child struggling to survive a zombie-infested world while lyrically providing comfort to listeners grappling with pain and “infinitely sad” memories.

Oneus, “To Be Or Not To Be” (2020)

Boy band Oneus borrows from Shakespeare to lament over a painful breakup in “To Be Or Not To Be,” with the song’s visual accompaniment featuring blood-filled bathtubs, thorny crowns, and a gunfire-packed climax that hints at the group’s invincibility, and perhaps even immortality.

Red Velvet - Irene & Seulgi, “Monster” (2020)

The blaring horns that open “Monster,” the debut single from Red Velvet’s sub-unit Irene & Seulgi, serve as an ominous siren, setting the tone for the song’s dark atmosphere. The music video presents threatening gazes, skulls, eerie dolls and a devilish face that manifests on Irene, as the duo unleash their “little monster.”

Nature, “Girls” (2020)

After a string of bubblegum pop singles, Nature — which disbanded earlier this year — embraced a more sophisticated image with “Girls,” tackling an obsessive love that drives one “silly.” The music video’s uncensored version includes striking visuals of blood, floating scissors, a needle perilously close to an eye, and ghostly figures draped in white cloth.

(G)I-DLE, “Oh My God” (2020)

Eerie church bells ring alongside Minnie’s languid delivery of the opening lines in (G)I-DLE’s “Oh My God.” The song’s haunting atmosphere is also captured in the video, where Minnie is drenched in a blood-like substance while Soyeon finds herself surrounded by faceless figures — the same figures who appear to worship Shuhua as she towers majestically in a flowing white dress.

Dreamcatcher, “Scream” (2020)

EXO, “Obsession” (2019)

KARD, “You In Me” (2017)

Co-ed group KARD talks about obsessive love in “You In Me,” a message clearly expressed in the music video, which portrays Somin and Jiwoo’s unhealthy fixations with their partners, BM and J.Seph. In a shocking twist, it is revealed that the men are actually corpses, kept by the women in their desperate attempts to hold onto their love.

TWICE, “TT” (2016)

The saccharine vibe of TWICE’s “TT” contrasts yet complements its Halloween-themed video, which opens with two costumed children entering a haunted house, where they encounter the members in various costumes. Notably, TWICE frequently incorporate horror elements in their videos, such as in their debut single “Like Ooh-Ahh” and “Yes or Yes.”

SHINee, “Married to the Music” (2015)

The lively disco sound of SHINee’s “Married to the Music” perfectly matches the party depicted in its video. However, this is no ordinary get-together, as the so-called “Princes of K-pop” each find themselves losing body parts (in bearable, non-gruesome depictions), from Key’s head getting sliced off to Minho’s head catching fire.

Sunmi, “Full Moon” (2014)

In the video for Sunmi’s “Full Moon,” a man initially appears to be immobilized and held captive by a female vampire. But as the narrative unfolds, he ultimately transforms into the same creature. It also shows Sunmi and rapper Lena, who features in the track, in scenes inside caskets.

VIXX, “Voodoo Doll” (2013)

Content Warning: The video below contains gory imagery that may be disturbing for some viewers.

“Voodoo Doll” stands as a testament to VIXX’s reputation as a leading “concept group.” The original video shows the members being tortured through the mystical figurines. The unsettling, gory images and violence prompted the band to subsequently release a dance sequence-heavy “clean version” (which you can watch here as an alternative).

READ: Why dance challenges had K-pop group VIXX worried

G-Dragon, “Coup d’Etat” (2013)

Set in an otherworldly dystopia, the music video for G-Dragon’s “Coup d’Etat” begins with the K-pop icon crawling on the ground, his body entirely coated in clay. Throughout the video, surreal visuals abound, including a wall of white faces shedding black tears. The climax unfolds as G-Dragon tears away his clay skin, symbolizing a sort of transformation.

T-ara, “Lovey Dovey” (2012)

The nearly seven-minute video for T-ara’s chart-topping “Lovey Dovey” begins like a typical night at the club—until a woman is suddenly attacked by a zombie. While the girl group performs the song, marked by an infectious hook and bouncy disco beat, the party descends into chaos as the undead proceed to wreak havoc.

2NE1, “It Hurts” (2010)

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