Tving’s new docuseries “Shaman: Whispers from the Dead” starts with two presenters, actors Yoo Ji-tae and Ok Ja-yeon, exchanging a series of questions like “Have you ever met a shaman?,” “Have you ever had a shaman read your fortune?,” “Do you believe in God?” and “Do you believe in ghosts?”
Opening with these questions, the series invites the viewers into the world of Korea’s deep-rooted and prevalent religious culture of shamanism.
The eight-part show, which released its first four episodes on July 11, follows real-life cases of people suffering from unexplainable paranormal phenomena and shamans, or “mudang” or “manshin” in Korean, solving the cases using their spiritual knowledge.
“In Korea, it’s evident there’s a world where shamanism actually operates, but we questioned why it couldn’t be exposed and why the media didn’t cover it. Triggered by these questions, we began developing (this series) with the 스포츠 intention to delve into our country’s traditional beliefs and shamanism,” the show’s producer Lee Min-soo said during an interview with The Korea Times at a cafe in Jongno District, central Seoul, Tuesday.