The Documentary Podcast
The Documentary Podcast
BBC World Service
Bonus: What in the World: South Korea’s shamans are now online
15 minutes Posted Apr 20, 2024 at 5:30 pm.
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A bonus episode from the What in the World podcast.

Korean shamans hold significant cultural importance in Korean society. They are often portrayed in Korean dramas and films, adorned in shiny and colourful traditional attire, dancing on sharp knives, summoning spirits, and banishing demons. They offer fortune telling services and perform rituals to help people with their personal issues.

In South Korean media, shamans are often portrayed as deceitful characters who misuse their status to manipulate people and profit from others… but that negative image is slowly changing as young shamans are modernising their approach. They now have shrines in the busy centre of Seoul and they've become big on social media, even offering consultations online. BBC journalist Soo Min Kim has been speaking to shamans and their customers about why people go to see them and how social media is making them more accessible.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld

WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6

Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Hannah Gelbart with Soo Min Kim

Producers: Emily Horler and Adam Chowdhury

Editor: Julia Ross-Roy