Office Workers Who Came for Counseling Suffered Tens of Millions in Losses
"Fraud Beyond the Limits of Customary and Religious Practices"
A shaman in her 50s who deceived office workers visiting her shrine by claiming they were afflicted with sangmunsal and myotbal, and embezzled a large sum of money, was sentenced to prison for fraud.
On the 27th, Judge Park Hyunjin of the Criminal Division 2 at the Wonju Branch of Chuncheon District Court sentenced shaman A (51, female), who was indicted without detention on charges including fraud and violation of the Stalking Punishment Act, to two years in prison with a three-year probation. She was also ordered to attend 40 hours of stalking treatment programs and perform 80 hours of community service.
A was charged with deceiving airline flight attendant B, who came for a job consultation on June 18, 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic when she could not go to work, by telling her, "Your mother is afflicted with sangmunsal. If you do not perform a gut ritual immediately, your mother will die," and embezzling 29.7 million won in three installments.
Sangmunsal refers to bringing negative energy during funeral or condolence situations. When bad energy emanating from a deceased person attaches to someone, unfortunate events occur.
Additionally, on November 22 of the same year at 2 p.m., A was accused of deceiving a 30-year-old office worker C, who came for a fortune-telling session regarding work issues, by saying, "You have a divorce curse, so you keep breaking up with men," and "You have myotal that needs to be resolved," and embezzling 6.27 million won for the gut ritual expenses, as added in the indictment.
A was found to have deceived victims who came after watching her YouTube broadcasts by claiming that if they did not perform gut rituals immediately due to sangmunsal or myotal, something terrible would happen.
Moreover, after receiving a breakup notice from married man D, with whom she had developed a romantic relationship while playing shamanistic music at the shrine, A sent 62 text messages over a month starting January last year, including messages like "You will become a demon and wander the afterlife," as added in the indictment.
She was also tried for defamation by falsely claiming through her YouTube broadcasts that D had extorted 1 billion won and assaulted her.
In court, A claimed, "I never informed anyone that harm would immediately occur if the gut ritual was not performed," and "Even if that were true, the gut was performed voluntarily for comfort or peace of mind, not because I was deceived."
However, the court ruled that receiving payment under the pretense of promising any outcome related to fortune or misfortune, such as prayer fees, goes beyond the limits of traditional customs or religious acts and constitutes fraud.
Judge Park stated, "Despite no reasonable grounds to rush the gut ritual, she scolded the victims and made them increase their card limits on the spot to pay a large sum for the gut on the same day, exceeding what can be allowed as a religious act, and the nature of the crime is serious."
He added, "However, considering that our society somewhat tolerates the social function of shamanistic practices and that the shamanistic acts were conducted with a certain degree of formality, the execution of the prison sentence was suspended."
A has appealed the first trial verdict.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
