what is "Samchung" in "Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938"

"Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938" episode 2 features scenes of people turning into zombies. They are said to have changed because they were infected with "Samchung". So, what is "Samchung"?

Samchung is depicted as a worm that controls human desires in Taoism.

Samchung is not a historical background, but a material that is depicted in the religious background of Taoism. 'Samchung' means three worms, and 'sam' means the number 3 and 'chung' means worm. In Taoism, Samchung is a parasite that lives on humans and physically shortens their lifespan, causes diseases, and causes various desires. In Taoism, it is said that the reason why Samchung infects humans is because humans eat white grains. 

In Taoism, white grains are considered to be the most disruptive ingredients for cultivating the Tao among the various foods that humans eat for survival. Taoism believes that individuals can become immortals if they cultivate the Tao and reach a certain level, and white grains can be defined as ingredients that interfere with this in relation to human appetite.

In "Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938", Samchung

In "Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938", Samchung is used as a parasite that makes humans obsessed with food and sex. When infected with this worm, humans suffer from strange sexual desire and high appetite, which is depicted as a scene of humans eating meat. 

In "Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938", this image is very similar to that of Western zombies. In Taoism, Samchung is caught by performing a kind of religious ritual or taking medicine, but in "Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938", Samchung is set to have the characteristics of a worm, and it is driven away by burning wormwood, which has a sterilizing effect.