"Tell Me Everything You're Curious About Before I Ask"
Fortune-Telling Shop Operating Near Hamburger Restaurant Where Martial Law Was Simulated
"Famous Enough for Customers to Line Up"
A fortune-telling shop located in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, operated by former Intelligence Commander Noh Sang-won. Photo by Yonhap News
Former Intelligence Commander Noh Sang-won, a key figure in the December 3 emergency martial law incident, was revealed to have worked as a fortune teller, sparking public interest after a netizen who visited his fortune-telling shop in the past shared their experience.
On the 22nd, a post from two years ago by a netizen who visited Noh’s fortune-telling shop was uploaded on an online community. The author, Mr. A, said, "At the entrance of the shop, there were piles of dried smoked pollack, and I wondered what that was." He explained, "When I opened the door, it was a house. There was a baby Bodhisattva statue with candies and snacks piled up, along with baby hanbok, toy cars, and airplanes." He added, "It felt like he could see right through me. I went with a friend, and he was quite accurate. Before I even asked, he told me everything I was curious about. However, I felt uneasy and didn’t want to see the fortune-telling again."
Earlier, on the 19th, JTBC reported that Noh operated a fortune-telling shop in a semi-basement house in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province. Previously, he had been dishonorably discharged after serving a prison sentence for sexual crimes against a female subordinate in 2018. After his discharge, Noh started running the fortune-telling shop, which was located about 1.4 km from a Lotteria store where former and current intelligence commanders had allegedly premeditated the martial law. The fortune teller who was his business partner said, "Noh studied Myeongrihak (Korean fortune-telling based on the Five Elements and Yin-Yang) for about 10 years," adding, "He has spiritual energy and mastered philosophy, naming, and fortune-telling."
In the neighborhood, Noh’s residence was rumored to be a fortune-telling shop and was known to be so popular that customers lined up. A nearby store clerk recognized his photo immediately, calling him "Bodhisattva," and said, "I often saw him ordering rice cakes to perform gut (shamanistic rituals)." Another resident said, "At midnight, two very nice cars came, which surprised me, and they took out fortune-telling tools from the cars, such as gongs, wood, and flags."
Subsequently, netizens nicknamed the place the "Burger Bodhisattva Fortune-telling Shop." They also shared the shop’s name, address, and road view photos online. From the photos, one could see a signboard outside the shop with the character 'Man' (卍) and the words "○○ Bodhisattva," along with a sticker reading "Ansan City Model Shaman." However, the signboard reportedly disappeared after the news coverage.
Meanwhile, Noh is suspected of having led the martial law operation as a civilian. Police investigations revealed that two days before the martial law, on the 1st, he met with Intelligence Commander Moon Sang-ho and two intelligence colonels to premeditate the martial law.
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