The Form and Meaning of Shamanic Content Represented in Korean TV Entertainment Programs -Focusing on Buchaedosah, Knee-Drop Guru, and Ask the Bodhisattvas-

In recent years, Korean TV entertainment programs have increasingly incorporated shamanism as a central theme, creating new forms of shamanistic expression within popular culture. This study analyzes how shamanic content is represented in three representative programs—Buchaedosah, Knee-Drop Guru, and Ask the Bodhisattvas—and examines their narrative structures and cultural implications. Despite their differences in format, subject matter, cast composition, and spatial settings, these programs form a kind of genealogy that reflects the characteristics of their respective media environments and time periods. What unites these programs is their common appropriation of the core shamanic structure of “problem and resolution.” In doing so, they transcend shamanism as mere custom or spectacle, instead functioning as platforms for emotional resonance and practical advice. The cast composition also mirrors the hierarchical relationship between shaman and believer, consistently deploying the image of the possessed shaman (gangshinmu). The use of props and settings evocative of shamanic shrines further enhances the multi-dimensional representation of shamanism. These programs visualize Korean folk identity by situating shamanism at the intersection of traditional culture and K-content, serving not only as a means of cultural localization but also as a point of engagement with global K-culture and digital sovereignty. By investigating how shamanism is normalized and transformed into entertainment within the television medium, this study sheds light on the contemporary reappropriation of shamanic practices and their dynamic interaction with popular media.