Gods, Shamans, and Ghosts of Korea

The South Korean economic miracle, the Korean Wave (Hallyu), the multimillion-dollar K-pop industry, corruption, and suicide mania... The goal of this book is to show the reader a completely different Korea, a country of a thousand myths and legends, without neglecting North Korea, as the cultural heritage of both countries has remained united for centuries. The book collects myths and legends about Korean gods, spirits, ghosts, and other supernatural beings. You will meet the already established cultural phenomenon of the kumiho foxes, the tokkaebi demons, the phoenix ponghwan, the haechi lions, as well as lesser-known characters from Korean folklore: the winged horse Chollino, especially revered in North Korea, numerous household spirits, the toilet goddess Chiksin, the ghosts of virgins Jeonyeo-gwishin and Jeongak-gwishin, the fish-people Ino, whose tears turn into pearls, the phantom fireflies Kwihwa, the mysterious Saripkwe — the Monster in the Hat, whose encounter leaves a feeling of anxiety...