The SNU Center for Contemporary Korean Studies held an international conference titled “Korea as Symptom” over two days, August 22 and 23. As the second session of the conference, the Values and Identity Team organized a panel titled “Religion, Culture, and Political Identity in Korea I” in Room 230 of Building 101 at Seoul National University. Chaired by Professor Sem Vermeersch (Seoul National University), the session featured three presentations.

첫 번째 발표자는 브리티시 콜롬비아 대학교(University of British Columbia)의 도널드 베이커(Donald Baker) 교수로, “Sacralizing the Nation: New Religions and Korea’s Place in the World”를 주제로 발표하였다. 그는 지금껏 주목을 받지 못했던 한국의 신종교에 초점을 두고, 신종교 속 한국의 종교적 민족주의를 분석하였다. 특히, 동학/천도교, 원불교, 대종교 등을 사례로 들어 한국의 신종교가 근대 한국사와 교차하는 지점을 밝혔다.

The first speaker was Professor Donald Baker (University of British Columbia), who presented “Sacralizing the Nation: New Religions and Korea’s Place in the World.” Focusing on Korean new religions, which have received relatively limited scholarly attention, he examined the forms of religious nationalism embedded within them. Drawing in particular on examples such as Donghak/Cheondogyo, Won Buddhism, and Daejonggyo, he highlighted the points at which Korea’s new religious movements intersected with the course of modern Korean history.

The second presentation was delivered by Professor Liora Sarfati (Tel Aviv University) under the title “Evolving Representation of Mudang in Korean Television.” In Korea, mudang, or shamans, were long regarded as irrational practitioners of outdated superstition. Since the 2000s, however, shamans in the media have increasingly been portrayed as helpers or problem-solvers in television dramas. Sarfati argued that this shift reflects a broader tendency to view Korean shamanism as a distinctive form of cultural heritage and a uniquely Korean cultural asset.

The final presentation, “A Short Critique of Korea’s Political Mythology in the Post-Park Chung Hee Era,” was given by Professor Junyoung Ahn (University of Michigan). He argued that political mythology has continued to operate in South Korean society even after the death of Park Chung Hee, and interpreted this phenomenon through the concept of “the king’s two bodies.” In particular, he explained how, even after democratization, politicians have at times sought to reinforce their authority and legitimacy through associations with religion or superstition.