Shaman Who Received 100 Million Won for Exorcism Declared Not Guilty in First Trial... "Not Fraud"

Court: "Has career and activities as a shaman"
"Cannot consider the shaman deceived the requester"

A shaman who received about 100 million won by recommending a gut ritual to customers who came for fortune-telling on the grounds that they were "possessed by a ghost and physically ill" was indicted on fraud charges but was acquitted in the first trial. The Criminal Division 7 of the Seoul Northern District Court (Judge Kim Seon-beom) acquitted Kim Mo (50), a shaman tried for fraud charges, on the 1st.

Kim is accused of receiving a total of 79.37 million won over 30 sessions in seven months, including making Hong Mo, who came for fortune-telling due to illness in March last year, pay 3.8 million won by saying "an exorcism gut ritual must be performed."

The photo is not related to any specific expression in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Hong claimed that at the time, Kim said, "If you don't perform the exorcism gut ritual, you will die, you won't be able to function as a sane person, and your family could also die."

Also, Won Mo, who visited the temple following Hong, heard that if the exorcism gut ritual was not performed, he could lose his father, who suffers from cirrhosis complications, and other family members, and paid more than 25 million won in one month for the gut ritual. In total, about 100 million won was paid under the name of 'gut ritual fees.'

The court acknowledged that Kim received more than 100 million won while performing the gut ritual but ruled, "It is insufficient to conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that the victim was deceived and the gut ritual fees were embezzled."

In other words, the court regarded Kim's actions as part of religious activities. Regarding this, the court explained the sentencing reason, saying, "Kim operates a gut ritual group and has experience and activities as a shaman, including receiving the divine possession gut ritual. Even if the requester's desired purpose was not achieved, it cannot be seen that the shaman deceived the requester."

The court also considered favorable factors such as Kim having sufficient goods and personnel and conducting the gut ritual according to general concepts and forms.