#
Suicide by drowning — cultural/spiritual framing
0:45
Self-harm
The uncle describes someone stabbing out their own eyes and jumping into the East Sea (동해 바다). In Korean ghost lore, a person driven to self-destruction by a possessing spirit is seen as a victim of that spirit's will, not as someone acting freely. The East Sea is a recurring setting in Korean tragedy and folklore because its vast, remote coastline is associated with finality and disappearance.
This note discusses suicide or
self-injury. If you need someone to talk to: in Korea call 109,
in the US call or text 988, or
find a helpline in your country.
#
Possession (빙의) as explanation for crime
1:37
The team concludes that 박홍주 (Park Hong-ju) is actually the demon 박일도. In Korean shamanistic and Catholic exorcism beliefs that this drama blends, 빙의 (bi-nui, 'possession') means an evil spirit takes over a person's body and acts through them. The host is understood to be both perpetrator and victim, which is why the characters debate whether crimes committed while possessed count as the person's own fault.
#
Guilt and spiritual vulnerability
4:49
Hwa-pyeong explains that the husband's guilty conscience after the hit-and-run drew evil spirits to him. In Korean folk belief — shared across shamanism and popular Catholic spirituality — intense guilt, grief, or moral corruption opens a person up to spiritual attack. The idea is that negative emotions create a kind of crack in a person's spiritual armour.
#
Catholic exorcism rite (구마 의식)
6:56
Father Yoon proposes performing 구마 의식 (guma uisik), the Catholic rite of exorcism. In Korea the Catholic Church follows the Roman Rite of Exorcism, and only a priest with specific permission from his bishop may perform it. The drama has already established that Yoon lost that authorisation — which is why the other characters keep warning him it's dangerous to proceed.
#
Exorcism prayer — Catholic formula
19:48
Father Yoon begins the formal exorcism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (성부와 성자와 성령의 이름으로). The prayers he recites throughout the scene are drawn from real Catholic exorcism liturgy, including the prayer to St. Michael the Archangel — a widely known Catholic prayer specifically invoking protection against Satan. Korean Catholics commonly know this prayer from Sunday Mass.
#
부마자 (possessed person) and demonic prophecy
24:21
Yoon uses the term 부마자 (bu-ma-ja), meaning 'one afflicted by a demon' — the Catholic term for a possessed person, distinct from the more everyday 빙의. The demon's three-stage curse delivered through Seo-yun (pain, physical decay, death) mirrors a classic structure in East Asian ghost stories where spirits deliver graded warnings before a final reckoning.
#
씻김굿 — shamanistic cleansing ritual
27:34
Yuk-gwang mentions holding a 씻김굿 (ssitgim-gut) outside — a shamanistic ritual from Korea's southwest (전라도) tradition performed to cleanse the spirit of the dead and sever their ties to the living world. It is one of the most elaborate gut (굿) rites, traditionally conducted when someone dies in a traumatic or untimely way. The drama often pairs Catholic exorcism with shamanistic ritual, showing both traditions working on the same problem.
#
급살 — the concept of a deadly spiritual strike
30:30
Yuk-gwang says Yoon was hit by 급살 (geup-sal), a term from Korean shamanistic belief for a sudden, violent surge of malevolent energy that enters the body like a physical blow. 살 (sal) is a core concept in Korean folk religion — harmful energy that can cause illness, bad luck, or death. Yuk-gwang treats it as something that needs a ritual cure, not a hospital, which is why he insists Yoon stay still.
#
Korean shamanism — ritual objects and humour
35:48
The frantic scene at the repair shop is played for dark comedy: Yuk-gwang, dressed in 한복 (hanbok, traditional Korean clothing) and wielding what looks like a ritual blade, terrifies a mechanic who immediately calls the police. Shamans (무당) do use specific ceremonial knives during rites. A person in full shamanistic regalia running into a mundane setting is a classic source of comedic contrast in Korean dramas.
#
새벽 3시 — the witching hour in Korean belief
47:20
Father Yoon asks Seo-yun whether she wakes at 3 a.m., explaining it is the hour when evil spirits are most powerful. This '마(魔)의 시간' idea is shared across many cultures, but in Korean Catholic exorcism lore it is specifically tied to 3 a.m. as the inverse of the 3 p.m. hour when Christ died — the logic being that demons mock sacred time.
#
눌림 굿 — shamanic rite to block spirit sight
58:20
Yuk-gwang will perform a 눌림 굿 (nullim gut) for Seo-yun — a type of shamanistic ritual designed to 'press down' or suppress an ability, in this case her gift for seeing the dead. The word 눌림 comes from 누르다, to press or suppress. Unlike many gut that invoke or communicate with spirits, this one is meant to shut a door, protecting the person from unwanted spiritual perception.
#
부적 — talisman given to a Catholic priest
63:10
Hwa-pyeong tries to give Yoon a 부적 (bu-jeok), a shamanistic talisman — typically a piece of yellow or red paper with ink characters written by a shaman — meant to repel bad energy or illness. The awkward comedy here is deliberate: offering a shamanistic charm to a Catholic priest breaks every boundary of both traditions. Hwa-pyeong's defence that 'anyone can carry it' reflects how ordinary Koreans often use 부적 as everyday protective objects regardless of religion.
#
Invoking a demon by name in a gut ritual
70:12
The shaman calls out 박일도 repeatedly in a chanting ritual, using a bell (방울, bang-ul) — a core tool of Korean shamanism used to summon or communicate with spirits. Calling a spirit by its true name is a widespread ritual act across Korean, Japanese, and Chinese folk religion; it is meant to compel the spirit to reveal itself or respond. The 방울's ringing marks each invocation.