KMK: Korean Fortune Tellers

On a lark Ian and I decided to venture off in search of one of the fabled Korean fortune tellers. I know you’ve seen them. They have tents set up all throughout the city. You can find them inside the CGV lobby, Myeong Dong Shopping alleyways, COEX, and anywhere else you can imagine.

Before we went Ian happily explained the different types of psychic services and what I could expect. Basically, there are several types of fortune teller services  in Korea.

Kwan-sang

Here the psychic reads your face, judging the shape of your nose, how far apart your eyes and such all to determine your personality. Then they use that information to figure out the rest of your life. Essentially your actions have determined your face and so by reading the face they can determine your likely future actions.

To me this sounds like the old art of Physiognomy which dates back as far as ancient Greece.

Son-Geom

They read the lines in you hands like a palm reader in the West. The lines are for intelligence, life line, and love line.

Saju-Palja

Also called the four pillars because they base the reading of the day, month, year, and time of your birth. Then they consult a book of celestial significance as well as records of other people born during the same time. They use this information to tell you about your own past and then, after securing your confidence, by revealing your future.

Gung-Heop

This fortune teller is for couples. If you want to marry a Korean and if they’re parents are very traditional they will consult the Gung-Heop to determine if you are a match.  The literally translation of Gung means the woman’s vagina and Heop means match. If couple doesn’t match their relationship will be stormy, but if they do indeed match they will have a fruitful marriage.

Mudang

Korean Shamans. The old gods communicate with the shaman in order to reveal futures, ailments, and exorcise spirits. They can use paper charms with sigils done in red ink to ward off spirits. Shamans in Korea are usually women. They come by their powers either through inheritance or initiation.

We decided upon Funny Sculptor in Hongdae. The sign is pretty nondescript so it’s easy to miss. The entryway has pictures of the fortune tellers on hand as well as photos of their famous clients who have dropped by for readings.

Inside it’s pretty much like a regular cafe. Except of course there are two menus: one for drinks and one for the various psychic services. Ian and I got comfortable in a booth ordered a jack and coke and a pina colada and awiated our psychic. He didn’t come across as hokey at all. I guess I expected a little theatricality but instead a middle aged Korean guy with glasses showed up. He was mellow and ready to get down to business.

Ian translated for us as I elected to have the single question Tarot reading. The cost was 5,000 KRW which isn’t bad to know the answer to a burning question. He informed me that the question had to be specific. I decided upon whether or not I would be single in the new year. He directed Ian to instuct me to focus on the question while laying my left hand over the Tarot deck. He then commanded me to cut the deck into three and then reassemble them.

Done.

He then swept the cards out into an arc on the table upside down. I selected six cards one at a time. Between each card he would explain what it meant and how it related to the card before and after. He preceded to tell me that my former relationship may be over, but the fire would be rekindled, and that this person was destined to be with me. He also managed to nail that I would be studying something new (my Korean class) and that it would draw all my energy before I was ready for the relationship to resume.

Scary stuff!

I thanked him, sipped my pina colada and scooted over for Ian’s turn.  Ian wanted to have the saju done. The man took  Ian’s birth information and went on about his relationship to his father, his future marriage partner, his path to future path in foreign countries, his money situation in the future, and his ability in his chosen academic field.

Ian was satisfied with the reading. I thought the guy pretty accurately nailed things about us without even needing a crystal ball or smoke machine.  Of course who really knows the future until you get there?

The prices ran from 5,000 KRW for a Tarot reading with a single question to upwards of 40,000 KRW depending upon the number of questions you asked or the different service you selected. Some also came with two free return trips during the coming year to determine if anything has changed or not. Not bad, though I can see some people running up a huge tab.

The Good:

The whole experience was a treat. You have some harmless fun and get a glimpse into an area of Korean traditions.

The Bad:

Exorbitant drink prices. Trust me you should have a cocktail instead of that 5,000 KRW coke.

The Weird:

Startlingly accurate!

Directions:

You can find Funny Sculptor in Hongdae near the little park by the university. Walk away from the Park headed toward Prince Edward. Funny Sculptor will be on your right kitty corner to the park.