“Where sorrow is released and hope begins.” A World Beyond Life and Death Korean shamanism unfolds in a mysterious realm where the boundaries between life and death, the visible and invisible, are constantly crossed. At the heart of this world lies gut, a ritual that is at once religion, performance, and communal experience. Though it may seem incomprehensible through logic, it resonates deeply with human emotion, offering a powerful and immersive entry into Korea’s spiritual imagination and cultural identity. Gods, Myths, and the Korean Subconscious This book introduces the rich pantheon of Korean shamanistic deities—from household gods that protect everyday life to legendary figures such as Princess Bari and Danggeumaegi, who embody the cycles of birth, death, and rebirth. These myths are not distant relics of the past, but living narratives that continue to shape Korean consciousness, reflecting enduring questions about fate, suffering, and human existence. Mudang: Bridging Two Worlds At the center of these rituals stand the mudang, the shamans who serve as intermediaries between humans and the spirit world. Acting simultaneously as priests, prophets, and healers, they deliver divine messages, guide the living through uncertainty, and comfort the dead. Through music, dance, and states of possession, mudang transform ritual into a powerful act of communication, creating a space where human emotion and divine presence intersect. Ritual as Performance, Healing, and Experience Gut rituals are dynamic and multisensory events that combine sound, movement, costume, and symbolic objects into a compelling performance. From the rhythmic beating of drums and gongs to dramatic acts such as spirit possession and walking on blades, these rituals vividly manifest the presence of the unseen. At the same time, they serve as spaces of emotional release, healing, and communal bonding, where participants confront grief, hope, and the uncertainties of life. A Living Tradition in a Modern World Despite modernization and historical suppression, Korean shamanism continues to thrive as a living and evolving tradition. Today, it is reinterpreted through film, music, and global cultural content, while still offering comfort and meaning in times of crisis. More than a belief system, shamanism is a human story—one that confronts suffering, embraces hope, and continually asks the timeless questions: Why do we live, and how should we live? About the Author Park Weonmo An international expert who has supported the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) in the Asia-Pacific region for the implementation of the UNESCO 2003 Convention over the past two decades. He developed an interest in Korean shamanism while studying at Yonsei University and later studied at Rikkyo University in Japan as a Japanese Ministry of Education scholarship student, conducting fieldwork in Korea and Japan and carrying out comparative research on the two countries’ folk performing arts, particularly ritual performances including shamanistic practices. After returning to Korea, he worked on documentation projects for National Intangible Cultural Heritage at the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage and later works at UNESCO-ICHCAP, promoting regional cooperation and information capacity for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage, and serves as an adjunct professor at the Korea National University of Cultural Heritage. Photographer Kim Sangsoo worked for 30 years as a photographer and editor-in-chief of Monthly Our Sea. He currently works as a photographer at the Institute of Korea Maritime Culture Studies, where he documents domestic and international folklore and shamanism through photography.
