Understanding Kdrama: Fortunetellers And Shamans

Several historical kdramas have featured shamans as characters and a few recent modern-era dramas feature fortunetellers.

In "Pretty Man," Kim Ye Won plays the Electric Fairy, a woman who claims to see the future. While she may have no real powers, she makes some frightening predictions and has important lessons to teach Jang Geun Suk. The same also played a shaman fortuneteller in the cable drama "Who Are You?" In that drama she was clearly supposed to be a fake but she was surprised by her ability to communicate with the ghost played by Kim Jae Wook.

In "The Moon Embracing the Sun," a court shaman, played by Jeon Mi Seon, foretold the tragedy that would befall the royal house when Han Ga In arrived. Then she helped hide and raised Han Ga In, training her in the shaman arts.

Fortunetellers have been featured in other modern-day kdramas. At the beginning of "Flower Boy Ramen Shop," Lee Chung Ah visits a fortuneteller to find out her fate. She is warned that bells will ring when she meets her true love and that's exactly what winds up happening.

What do fortune-telling shamans have to do with Korean culture?

Shamanism in Korea is an ancient religious belief that seeks to bring humans in harmony with spirits. Over time, aspects of shamanism were incorporated into other religious practices but the growth of Christianity resulted in a marked decrease in followers. Even so, about 8 percent of the South Korean population still follows these traditional beliefs.

The shaman, usually a woman, is a religious leader who attempts to reconcile humans and the gods through various ceremonies and exercises.

There are different types of shamans, some of whom predict the future, while others specialize in exorcisms and casting spells.

In the 1970s, the South Korean government launched newspaper campaigns telling people not to depend on fortunetelling and to make their own fate, but the practice survived anyway. Shaman festivals are still practiced in some areas of Korea and some people still consult fortunetellers about significant events, such as upcoming weddings. There are also fortunetelling cafes where a person can have his or her fortune read while sipping a cup of coffee,

Shamanism is currently the subject of a new exhibit at the Ilmin Museum of Art in Seoul. The exhibit includes documents, images and videos that examine Korean shamanism.
The exhibit runs until March 2 at the Ilmin Museum of Art. For more information, you can visit www.ilmin.org.