Thoughts and Practices of Korea Federation of Kyŏngsin: The Directivity toward Ethnic Religion

This article attempts to examine shaman (mudang) thought and practice, focusing on the Korea Federation of Kyŏngsin. The Korea Federation of Kyŏngsin was first formed by a group of mudang in 1971 and has continued to carry out various activities in Korea. Analyzing their ideas and activities will help us to study how mudang understood their times and the measures they took to deal with different situations. The Korea Federation of Kyŏngsin was organized to change the widespread stigma against musok (Shamanism) as superstition. In order to raise the social status of musok, mudang chose to promote the federation as an ethnic religion. In addition, when they tried to distinguish musok from Christianity or Buddhism, it seemed that an ethnic religion was more appropriate than a religion. The directivity toward an ethnic religion that the Korea Federation of Kyŏngsin demonstrates poses a question regarding how perspectives on musok as a religion has been formed in Korea. In a sense, such a viewpoint is natural. On the other hand, it is necessary to pay attention to the fact that efforts to destroy superstition has been developed many times throughout Korean history. Under such circumstances, mudang and scholars struggled to build up the image of musok as a religion, though ultimately, the perspective of musok as a religion has been gradually established. Through the case study of the Korea Federation of Kyŏngsin, we can better understand the process through which shamans constructed musok as a religion