Wooden Talisman Maker in Gwangju

By Isaiah Winters

Among my most unique experiences in the City of Light was a chance meeting with a modern-day shaman outside his home near Songjeong Station. The green gate out front had caught my attention because it had something I’d never seen before: talismans (부적, bujeok) made of wood. These were either glued or nailed to parts of the front gate for good luck, and I couldn’t help but wonder who’d made such interesting good-luck charms. Then, out of nowhere, the artist appeared, and we had a short chat about his bujeok, though I have to admit he was quite hard to understand. No doubt I was for him, too. Knowing there was more to this guy and his creative work, I decided to return with reinforcements.

A few weeks later, I brought friends Sounion Hong and Ryan Berkebile to his home for another chance to learn more about the man behind the bujeok. He invited us in and showed us samples of his work, most of which were in paper bujeok form. The red ink he used was imported from outside Korea and was quite expensive, we learned. It turns out his services aren’t cheap, with some bujeok costing upwards of 300,000 won. He claims they can help protect people from pretty much anything, including car accidents. When asked where he got his training and inspiration from, he simply said “spirits.”

A special thanks to Sounion Hong for acting as translator.

The Photographer
Born and raised in America’s largest county, Isaiah Winters is a pixel-stained wretch who loves writing about Gwangju and Honam, warts and all. When he’s not working or copyediting, he’s usually punishing himself with long hikes or curbing his mediocre writing and photography with regular practice. Regarding the latter, you can check his progress on Instagram @d.p.r.kwangju.