‘K-Occult’ Goes Global: Korean Folklore and Mysticism Captivate a Worldwide Audience

SEOUL, July 1 (Korea Bizwire) – Korea’s traditional mysticism—featuring grim reapers, shamans, goblins, and ancestral rites—is taking the global stage by storm.

Once seen as deeply local and culturally niche, “K-Occult” is now emerging as a unique pillar of the broader K-culture phenomenon, drawing attention for its blend of eerie storytelling, traditional iconography, and modern reinterpretation.

From Netflix hits to viral dance performances and foreign interest in Korean fortune telling, K-Occult is fast becoming Korea’s latest soft power export.

Animated Exorcists in K-Pop Form

Netflix’s K-Pop Demon Hunters, released June 20, has topped global streaming charts across Asia, North America, and Europe. The animated film follows “Huntress,” a K-pop girl group that moonlights as demon-slayers, fending off goblin-like spirits with sacred Korean weapons like shingeom and sain-geom. Clad in shaman-inspired outfits, they battle boy-band antagonists styled after grim reapers in gat hats.

Despite being an English-language production, the film integrates Korean terms like honmun (soul gate) and saja (reaper) directly into the dialogue. Directed by Maggie Kang and featuring art direction by Celine Kim, the film reflects deliberate efforts to differentiate K-Occult from Japanese or Western tropes.

Global audiences have responded enthusiastically. Comments such as “This cartoon is just awesome” and “Need a prequel and sequel!” fill YouTube and social media. Cultural critic Kim Heon-sik noted, “Unlike Western occult, which often centers on individual battles with evil, Korean occult stories emphasize communal rituals and collective healing—offering a more humanistic perspective.”

Traditional Spirits, Modern Dance

Korean dance crew BUMSUP also went viral with its performance “Dreamscape (몽경): At the Edge of a Dream”, which gained over 14 million views within a week of its June 18 release. Representing Korea on Mnet’s World of Street Woman Fighter, the group blended dynamic street dance with traditional Korean elements like sangmo hat-spinning and buchaechum (fan dance), reimagining the passage to the afterlife as guided by shamanic reapers.

Viewers around the world were mesmerized. One YouTube user commented, “A masterpiece,” while another wrote, “This gives me goosebumps no matter how many times I watch.”

Cultural critic Kim Sung-soo praised the piece as “a refined artistic statement that embodies the boundary between life and death through movement.”

Fortune-Telling Boom Among Foreigners

Interest in Korean shamanism and fortune-telling is also growing among international visitors. Search results for “Korean fortune teller” on YouTube yield hundreds of videos from foreigners eager to share their experiences with saju (Korean astrology).

Practitioners like ‘Sori-dang Grandma’ report seeing 15–20 foreign clients per month. “They’re often amazed by how detailed the readings are, especially compared to tarot,” she said.

Other shamans and café owners in Seoul confirm the trend. “We see at least four foreign clients daily,” said Park Man-ho, who runs a saju café in Myeongdong. “Some even travel to Korea solely for a reading.”

Experts suggest this fascination lies in K-Occult’s theatrical, detailed, and emotionally resonant qualities—making it a compelling cultural export.

“Korean occult storytelling has a unique visual and spiritual grammar,” said critic Kim. “It has all the ingredients to evolve into a globally recognized genre in its own right.”

Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)