Great hex-pectations: Shamans divided on South Korea’s political future

INCHEON - The outcome of the upcoming presidential elections in South Korea may still be unknown, but shaman Yang Su-bong told AFP that the winner appeared in her visions years ago.

South Koreans go to the polls on June 3 to choose their next president, a snap vote triggered by former leader

Yoon Suk Yeol’s disastrous declaration of martial law

last December.

And for Ms Yang, a traditional Korean “mudang”, it’s clear that liberal front runner Lee Jae-myung will emerge victorious – a prediction that chimes with all major opinion polls that put him

well ahead in the presidential race.

The latest Gallup survey showed 49 per cent of respondents view Lee as the best candidate, while Mr Kim Moon-soo from the conservative People Power Party (PPP) was trailing with 35 per cent.

“From the beginning, I’ve seen Lee Jae-myung becoming president,” Ms Yang told AFP at her office in the western port city of Incheon.

“I saw a presidential aura,” she explained, adding that she faced “criticism, and even threats” for her prediction.

“But I can’t lie about what I see.”

Shamanism has shaped culture and belief on the Korean peninsula for centuries.

South Koreans still regularly turn to shamans for advice on everything from their love lives to important business decisions. The registrar of the country’s largest shamanic organisation lists 300,000 shamans practising in the country.

But the folk religion has also come under the spotlight for the wrong reasons – two presidential impeachments have been linked to undue influence allegedly wielded by shamans.

Former president Park Geun-hye was removed from office in 2017 in an influence-peddling scandal involving claims of, among other things, participation in shamanistic rituals.

Ousted leader Yoon and his wife Kim Keon Hee have also been accused of turning to sketchy shamans when making decisions – including, it is alleged, the fateful martial declaration.

‘Intense emotions’

Claims like that provoke an “intense emotional reaction” in South Korean society – in part because the country’s history is full of leaders led astray by unscrupulous spiritual advisors, Dr Lee Won-jae, a sociologist at South Korea’s KAIST university, told AFP.

“When it comes to dramatising politics, there’s nothing quite as effective as invoking shamanistic themes,” he said.

These “mudang” act as intermediaries between the world of spirits and everyday life.

Their elaborate “gut” ceremonies can be hours-long affairs, with cacophonic music, singing and prayers used to ward off evil spirits or hope for a good harvest.

Hit thriller movies like 2024’s Exhuma – which features a group of shamans fighting an ancient evil spirit – have piqued public interest.

And some shamans have even turned to social media to ply their craft, live-streaming on YouTube and offering advice over video calls.

Shaman Lee Dong-hyeon, who goes by the name Ohbangdoryeong – “guardian of the five directions” – said he was approached by local politicians after predicting Yoon’s untimely fall three years ago.

“To become a truly great person, you must learn to carry burdens,” he told AFP.

Yoon “lacks that destiny”, he said.

And “despite his age, he lacks judgment”, Ohbangdoryeong added.

‘Truth can be uncomfortable’

Ohbangdoryeong engages in “sword rituals” – licking the sharp blade of a knife in a bid to receive messages from deities.

He is not so sure that front runner Lee will help end South Korea’s political turmoil.

“Things will stabilise for two years, but then there will be bloodshed – political purges,” he darkly predicted.

Fellow shaman Hong Myeong-hui agreed that turbulent times could be ahead.

She said conservative contender Mr Kim has a “quiet fire” in him.

But the liberal Lee’s “energy is fast and consuming, like a wildfire in spring”, she said.

“His term will be stormy,” Ms Hong said.

“Prophecy isn’t for pleasing people – it’s for truth. And truth can be uncomfortable.”

No matter if the predictions ring true, what is clear that the new president will have to navigate South Korea through a period of economic turbulence, as the trade-dependent nation will be facing steep tariffs from the United States while struggling with sluggish demand at home. AFP