Death in Korea – Folklore and Rituals Related to Understanding of the Underworld

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12797/Politeja.22.2025.95.05

Keywords:

folklore, Korea, death, rituals, underworld

Abstract

The main objective of the article Death in Korea – Folklore and Rituals related to understanding of the underworld is to analyze the meaning of death in traditional Korean culture. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to discuss original Korean beliefs related to the afterlife. The article will therefore present and discuss Korean folk stories related to the underworld, its inhabitants and the ways to get into it. To further emphasize the importance of death in Korean culture, the article will examine the rituals that ensure the proper passage of the deceased into the afterlife.

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Author Biography

  • Angelika Funek, Jagiellonian University

    In 2022 she obtained a PhD at the Jagiellonian University in the field of Culture and Religion, by defending the thesis Between the Gothic Novel and the Folktale –Demythologization of Lafcadio Hearn’s “Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things”. Currently, she works as an assistant professor at the Institute of the Middle and Far East at the Jagiellonian University, where she conducts classes on folklore, culture and societies of South and North Korea. She is also developing her studies on feminism in South Korea in the context of local music and movie industries. Additionally, she deals with the issue of representation of Asian minorities in American comic books.

References

Books

Baker D., “Introduction,” in R.E. Buswell Jr. (ed.), Religions of Korea in Practice, New Jersey 2007, pp. 1-32, https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691188157-008.

Chung Myung-sub (ed.), Encyclopedia of Korean Folk Beliefs, Seoul 2013.

Chung Myung-sub (ed.), Encyclopedia of Korean Folk Literature, Seoul 2014.

Horlyck C., Pettid M.J. (eds), Death, Mourning, and the Afterlife in Korea: From Ancient to Contemporary Times, Honolulu 2014, pp. 137-154, https://doi.org/10.1515/9780824840150-009.

Kendall L., Shamans, Nostalgias, and the IMF: South Korean Popular Religion in Motion, Honolulu 2009, https://doi.org/10.21313/hawaii/9780824833435.001.0001.

Journals

Kim Kyungdeok, Kim Youngduk, “Implementation of Digital Contents of the Ten Kings of Hell according to Keyword,” The Journal of the Korea Contents Association, vol. 20, no. 4 (2020), pp. 530-539, https://doi.org/10.5392/JKCA.2020.20.04.530.

Kim Myeong-Sook, “Hangugin ui jugeum e daehan insiggwa taedo e gwanhan cheolhagjeog gochal” (A Philosophical Study on Koreans’ Perception and Attitude toward Death), Confucian Studies, vol. 22 (2010), pp. 73-108, http://doi.org/10.18216/yuhak.2010.22..004. Master thesis

Jang Hee-cheol, (Research on Chasabonpuli), Master Thesis, Jeju National University Graduate School of Education, 2004.

Websites

“Death,” Britannica, at https://www.britannica.com/science/death.

“Bali gongju” (Princess Bari), Hangug minjog munhwadae baeggwasajeon, at https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0020479.

Heo Yong-ho, “Seoul jinogigut sajaesamseong” ( Jinogi gut Sajaesamseong from Seoul), Uliyeogsaneo, at http://contents.history.go.kr/mobile/km/view.do?levelId=km_038_0060_0020_0020_0030.

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“Jesa” (Ancestral rites), Hangug minjog munhwadae baeggwasajeon, at https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0051293.

Joo Kang-hyeon, “Ujujeog saengmyeong-gwa ingan saengmyeong-ui hab-il” (Unity of Cosmic Life and Human Life), Uliyeogsaneo, at http://contents.history.go.kr/mobile/km/view.do?levelId=km_005_0070_0010&whereStr=%40where+%7B+IDX_TITLE%28HASALL%7C%27%EC%9A%A9%EC%99%95%EB%A7%9E%EC%9D%B4%27%7C100000%7C0%29+or+IDX_CONTENT%28HASALL%7C%27%EC%9A%A9%EC%99%95%EB%A7%9E%EC%9D%B4%27%7C100%7C0%29+or+IDX_ALL%28HASALL%7C%27%EC%9A%A9%EC%99%95%EB%A7%9E%EC%9D%B4%27%7C1%7C0%29+%7D.

“Jugeum” (Death), Hangug minjog munhwadae baeggwasajeon, at https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0053575.

McCormick S., “The King and His Hell: Exploring the CMA’s Recently Acquired 14th‑Century Korean Buddhist Scroll,” Medium, at https://medium.com/cma-thinker/the-king-andhis-hell-exploring-the-cmas-recently-acquired-14th-century-korean-buddhist-scroll-ea747f78df14.

Na Kyung-soo, “Cheonjiwangbonpuri” (Origin of Celestial King), Hangug minsog daebaeggwaseojeon, at https://folkency.nfm.go.kr/topic/detail/2889?pageType=search&keyword=%EC%B2%9C%EC%A7%80%EC%99%95%EB%B3%B8%ED%92%80%EC%9D%B4나경수,천지왕본풀이.

Oh S., “Yong-wang,” Hangug minsog daebaeggwaseojeon, at https://folkency.nfm.go.kr/topic/detail/2618?pageType=search&keyword=%EC%9A%A9%EC%99%95.

”Siwangdo,” Hangug minjog munhwadae baeggwasajeon, at https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0069571.

“Siwang maji gut,” Hangug minjog munhwadae baeggwasajeon, at https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0032417.

“ (Daemun bakk i jeoseung ila),” Daehagjeoneol, at https://m.dhnews.co.kr/news/view/179513897806789.

Son Ji-bong, “Samcheongab jadong bangsag” (The Story of Dongbangsak), Hangug minsog daebaeggwaseojeon, at https://folkency.nfm.go.kr/topic/detail/5849?pageType=search&keyword=%EC%82%BC%EC%B2%9C%EA%B0%91%EC%9E%90%EB%8F%99%EB%B0%A9%EC%82%AD.

“Yongwang maji” (Welcome to the Dragon King), Hangug minjog munhwadae baeggwasajeon, at https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0039622.

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Published

13-06-2025

Issue

Section

Culture and Society

How to Cite

“Death in Korea – Folklore and Rituals Related to Understanding of the Underworld”. 2025. Politeja 22 (1(95): 73-86. https://doi.org/10.12797/Politeja.22.2025.95.05.

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