Shamanism and Korean politics: Choosing the right time for a coup?

Rumors of shamanistic influence on the choice of day and hour to initiate a coup are swirling…

For those outside Korea, it’s hard to imagine that the country’s politics are influenced by centuries-old mysticism. Shamanism (musok), once a cornerstone of indigenous spirituality, has quietly evolved into a shadowy force in modern politics. While America has corporate funded think tanks and lobby groups (which are sometimes just as esoteric), Korea has shaman (mudang) whose supposed insights can influence everything from campaign strategies to crisis management.

For centuries, Korean shamans, often dismissed as relics of a pre-modern past, have played an outsized role in the lives of those desperate enough to seek their guidance. Historically, their rituals addressed agricultural woes and health crises, providing a blend of theater and hope to a largely rural society. Today, their clientele includes not just the desperate but the powerful—politicians keen to exploit spiritual beliefs to justify their actions or absolve their failures.

In a political climate marked by scandals and mis…