Editor’s note
For three months, the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, visited fortune-telling shops and shamanic prayer sites across the country to shed light on the two faces of shamanism in our society. We also explored the current status of shamanism and examined the future path of this tradition. The following article is the last in a four-part series.
By KTimes
Kim Dan-wol (pseudonym), a shaman, does not advertise herself. She refuses to participate in YouTube or broadcast media, even when approached for TV appearances. Although fame might bring wealth and luxury, it would also leave her with less time to pray to the spirits and fewer opportunities to meet those who are truly in need.
After receiving her spiritual calling three years ago, Kim devotes herself to praying for her followers, stating that her greatest happiness comes from seeing them find peace and thrive.
“The image of shamanism has been tarnished by shamans who are focused only on making money,” Kim said.
She said that prioritizing money has sidelined proper rituals and traditions, and the world of shamanism became confused due to unchecked spiritual callings. She said that some shamans, unable to attract clients, resort to manipulative YouTube content, leading to a vicious cycle of exploitation.
“This world isn’t inherently bad. Shamans possess abilities that others don’t. I just wish they would use those abilities for good. If they sincerely empathize with their followers and perform proper rituals, shamanism and the status of shamans would naturally rise,” Kim said.
Survey of 129 shamans
A survey of 129 shamans conducted by The Hankook Ilbo, the Korean-language sister paper of The Korea Times, revealed that seven out of 10 believe shamanism is viewed negatively by society. Many attribute this perception to the fact that shamanism is often dismissed as superstition rather than being recognized as a legitimate religion.
From August to October, The Hankook Ilbo conducted a survey of shamans across the country, with the assistance of the Korean Kyungsin Federation.
The average age of survey participants was 54.7, with most shamans practicing in Seoul (42.6 percent) and Gyeonggi Province (20.2 percent). Nearly half of them (48 percent) had a high school education, and 21 percent had completed or attended college.
Before becoming shamans, 41.9 percent had practiced Buddhism, followed by those with no religion (24.8 percent), Christians (14 percent) and Catholics (13.2 percent). The most commonly worshiped deities were ancestral spirits, heavenly spirits, military spirits and mountain gods.
Religious prejudice fuels negative perception
According to the survey, 59.7 percent of respondents felt that people view shamans negatively, with 11.6 percent describing the perception as “very negative.”
The main reasons cited for this negative view were religious prejudice that considers shamanism as superstition (78.3 percent), negative portrayals in the media (28.3 percent), scams and sex crimes related to shamans (21.7 percent) and doubts about the professionalism of shamans (18.5 percent). Respondents could select multiple answers.
On the other hand, only 17.9 percent believed that people view shamans positively, citing reasons such as recognition of religious diversity (42.3 percent), spiritual healing and counseling (34.6 percent) and acknowledgment of the social, cultural and historical value of shamanism (23.1 percent).
Historically, shamanism has faced long periods of oppression, particularly during the 1910-45 Japanese colonial period, when traditional Korean beliefs were suppressed under the guise of modernity and rationalism.
Cho Seong-je, head of the Mucheon Cultural Research Institute, said, “The term ‘shamanism’ itself was coined by Japanese scholars during the colonial period to demean Korea’s traditional customs, and this distorted perspective significantly influenced the negative perception of shamanism.”
Shamans themselves acknowledge their role in perpetuating this negative image. A 54-year-old shaman with 21 years of experience, whom we met in Mount Gyeryong, South Chungcheong Province, said, “People look down on shamanism because of bad shamans. While there are good shamans, the bad ones stand out and ruin the overall image.”
He added, “It’s a relief that shamanism is becoming more familiar to the public through TV shows and movies like ‘Exhuma.'”
Initial reluctance to become shamans
Due to the negative perception of shamanism, 73.7 percent of respondents initially refused to become shamans. However, many eventually chose the path after experiencing mubyeong (spiritual illness), which 71.3 percent reported as the driving factor.
The symptoms of mubyeong varied, with physical pain being the most common (53.5 percent), followed by mental health issues (32.6 percent), abnormal behavior (23.3 percent) and emotional problems (21.7 percent).
Among those who sought psychiatric treatment before becoming shamans, 65 percent had been diagnosed with depression, 42.5 percent with acute stress disorder and 15 percent with bipolar disorder.
A 39-year-old shaman we met at a prayer site on Mount Inwang in Seoul said, “I suffered from depression for seven years, was hospitalized and couldn’t sleep or eat for three years. But after receiving the spiritual calling, my symptoms disappeared, and now I’m healthy enough to enjoy a hamburger meal.”
Lack of proper training for shamans
Despite becoming shamans after receiving spiritual callings, many reported not receiving adequate training from their spiritual mentors who guide new shamans, known as “sinbumo” in Korean.
Nearly half (46.5 percent) said they didn’t receive sufficient training, while only 30.2 percent said they were trained properly. Due to the lack of proper education, 27.1 percent of respondents said they attended shamanic training academies.
Byung Kyung-sook, the head of Hwaryeongam Transmission Center in Ansan, said, “I parted ways with my sinbumo a year and a half after receiving my calling and had no one to guide me. I opened an academy to help others in a similar situation, where I teach dance movements and how to handle instruments needed for rituals.”
The cost of attending such academies ranges from 300,000 won ($230) to 500,000 won per month.
Shamans also expressed the need for government support (42.6 percent) as the most important factor in gaining social acceptance for shamanism.
Some called for academic research into shamanism (20.2 percent) and the designation and protection of shamanic rituals as cultural heritage (13.2 percent).
To reduce shamanic-related crimes, respondents suggested implementing a certification system for shamans (26.4 percent), stricter punishments for criminal acts (24.8percent), and increased self-regulation (21.7 percent).
Push for formal recognition
Lee Seong-jae, director of the Korean Kyungsin Federation, said, “It would be helpful if the government could assist in establishing educational institutions for training shamans properly or recognizing their status as religious figures. Shamans must also avoid unethical behavior if they want to reduce the negative perception.”
Efforts to institutionalize shamanism were made during the 2003-08 Roh Moo-hyun administration, but they faced strong opposition from established religions, particularly Christianity, and the initiative lost momentum.
The lack of a unified voice within the shamanic community, due to the diverse interpretations of spirits, further hindered the efforts.
Experts argue that in order to train shamans systematically, it is essential to first understand the scale of the community.
While the Korean Kyungsin Federation claims there are 300,000 shamans across the country, there is no way to verify this. The government has never collected statistics on shamanism, nor has it conducted any form of comprehensive survey.
“There needs to be a registration process that includes basic information such as when and where shamans received their spiritual callings and who their sinbumo were,” said Yang Jong-seung, former president of the Association for Korean Shamanistic Studies. “If the government or related organizations manage this information, shamans could work more openly and gain greater recognition in society.”
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.
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