A quick search for terms like "shaman" or "spiritual reading" on YouTube yields a wide variety of shaman-related content. Captured from YouTube 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 second in a four-part series. By KTimes A popular shamanic YouTube channel with 195,000 subscribers went live on Sept. 25, where three shamans, known as "mudang" in Korean, sat before the camera, quickly responding to questions from viewers in real-time chat.
With minimal information such as lunar birthdates, age, gender or surname, they answered inquiries about marriage, moving, job changes and wealth. Over the course of two hours, they performed fortune readings for more than 60 people without charging fees. Instead, their contact information was prominently displayed on the screen.
Fortune-telling, including spiritual readings, horoscope interpretations and tarot, is booming online, especially among the 20s and 30s age group. While traditional fortune-telling hubs like the Miari neighborhood in Seoul's Seongbuk District have declined, online platforms have become the new destination for these services. Video platforms like YouTube and TikTok have become the go-to spaces for shamans.
.
