Former K-pop idol reveals how she became a shaman

Former K-pop idol and sports announcer Park Seo-hwi appearing on MBN's "Special Scoop World." Captured from MBN Entertainment YouTube channel

Former K-pop idol and sports announcer Park Seo-hwi is opening up about becoming a shaman.

Park is scheduled to appear on MBN’s “Special Scoop World” on Thursday to discuss how she chose to become a shaman after debuting as a member of the girl group, LPG, and later working as a sports announcer.

In a preview clip released ahead of the broadcast, Park is seen describing repeated dreams of family members dying. She recalled that when she visited a shaman for a reading, the first words she heard were, “You are filled with spirits,” an experience she said set her on the path to becoming a shaman.

Park said she ultimately accepted the shamanic calling out of fear over what might happen to her family if she refused it. Fighting back tears, she said her family mattered most to her and that although she had wanted to continue working in television, she felt she had no choice but to accept that path.

Park’s father also expressed conflicted emotions. “Becoming a shaman is a difficult path,” he said through tears. “It is heartbreaking to see this when she graduated from a well-respected university and was raised wanting for nothing.”

Park majored in international studies at Korea University and debuted as a K-pop idol. She later went on to work as a sports announcer and appeared on television programs including SBS’s “Kick a Goal.”

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.