Wishing Stairs is a 2003 South Korean horror film directed by Yun Jae-yeon and starring Song Ji-hyo and Park Han-byul. The movie follows two best friends, Hae-joo and Jin-sung, who attend a boarding school in the mountains of South Korea. They both have a passion for ballet and dream of being accepted into the prestigious ballet company in Seoul.
One day, they discover a staircase leading up to a mysterious, forbidden building on school grounds. Legend has it that if someone counts the steps on the staircase and wishes to fulfill their greatest desire at the top, the 29th step will appear and their wish will be granted. However, if the person's heart is filled with jealousy and insecurity, a dark force will be unleashed and their wish will come at a deadly cost.
Hae-joo, jealous of Jin-sung's natural talent, makes a wish to be the best ballet dancer, and the 29th stair appears. Soon, Jin-sung starts experiencing terrifying nightmares and hallucinations, and students begin to die one by one. As the supernatural occurrences escalate, Hae-joo must confront the consequences of her wish and try to stop the evil force before it's too late.
Wishing Stairs is the third installment in the Whispering Corridors series, a collection of horror movies set in Korean girls' high schools. It explores themes of friendship, jealousy, and the high-pressure world of ballet, while incorporating supernatural elements and suspenseful scares.
