Spiritual boom? Experts debunk claims of 800,000 shamans operating in Korea

A shaman performs a ritual in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province, Aug. 23, 2024. Korea Times photo by Jeong Da-bin

The shocking figure was splashed across online posts and reports: Korea is allegedly home to as many as 800,000 shamans — a number nearly double the nation’s active military and well over twice the entire foreign-born population of Seoul.

But don't start reading the tea leaves yet.

Experts are calling the massive figure totally unverified, noting there is not one shred of official data to back up the supposed surge in shamans.

“Eight hundred thousand is an exaggeration. We estimate the number at around 300,000,” said an official for the Korea Gyeongshin Association, the country’s largest organization of shamans, who requested anonymity.

He said the estimate draws partly from mid-1970s records showing about 300,000 registered members. Although he declined to reveal the current total, he noted that there are usually around 30 new registrations each month.

Cho Sung-je, a professor of shamanist studies at Dongbang Culture University, also rejected the 800,000 estimate, saying even he does not know the exact number.

“I believe the number is closer to 100,000, and even that would mean nearly one out of every 500 people in the country is a shaman,” Cho said. “Anything significantly higher than that is simply absurd.”

A shaman performs a ritual during the Changmu International Performing Arts Festival in Jung District, central Seoul, Aug. 26, 2024. Korea Times photo by Ha Sang-yoon

Government data shows an even smaller number — just over 10,000.

According to the Ministry of Data and Statistics, 10,512 people were working in the “fortune-telling and related services” industry in 2023, with 9,895 registered businesses.

The actual number of shamans is believed to be smaller, as the category also covers services such as "saju" readings, a traditional fortune-telling practice based on birth date and time, and tarot.

The government recognizes 12 culturally significant shamanic ceremonies, including the Gangneung Danoje, but there are no comprehensive statistics on shamans outside these state-designated traditions.

Amid the lack of official data, crimes by some shamans have prompted industry calls for oversight.

Last month, a shaman in her 70s was sentenced to life in prison for killing her nephew during a ritual she claimed would expel evil spirits. In June, a shaman in his 50s received a suspended prison sentence for extorting 79 million won ($53,800) by threatening a family with misfortune.

Experts say the industry needs a system to ensure stronger self-regulation and legitimacy.

“Unlike Catholic priests or Buddhist monks, who are certified through formal screening systems, shamans currently face no comparable system of qualification or oversight,” the Gyeongshin Association official said.

He added that the industry could consider establishing a “shamanism university” and creating a vetting and credentialing system, saying, “We need a system that can filter out those who lack credibility."

Prof. Cho said a legally authorized incorporated association with the power to regulate its members, similar to the Jogye Order, the administrative body for the country’s largest Buddhist sect, is needed to ensure accountability, stressing that internal self-regulation is also essential.

“There should be ethics training before someone becomes a shaman, but no such process exists,” Cho said, adding that many shamans perform unnecessary rituals for profit.