Following viral online reports claiming South Korea is home to 800,000 shamans, a number that would be nearly double the nation’s active military personnel and more than twice the entire foreign-born population of Seoul. Experts and industry leaders have firmly debunked the figure as a significant exaggeration.
An official from the Korea Gyeongshin Association, the country’s largest shaman organization provided a more conservative estimate of around 300,000, while Professor Cho Sung-je of Dongbang Culture University believes the actual number is closer to 100,000.
Official government data from 2023 lists only 10,512 people working in the broader “fortune-telling and related services” industry which also includes tarot and saju readers.
The controversy has sparked a larger conversation about the need for oversight in the profession. Unlike certified Catholic priests or Buddhist monks, shamans in South Korea currently face no formal qualification or credentialing system. This lack of regulation has, according to experts, allowed some individuals to exploit clients, leading to high-profile criminal cases, including extortion and even a murder during a ritual.
In response, industry insiders are pushing for stronger self-regulation. Proposals include establishing a “shamanism university” for proper training and creating a credentialed association with the power to vet members and enforce ethical standards, aiming to protect the integrity of their cultural traditions and the public.
📸 Ha Song-yoon/Korea Times
