Shaman Shocks Viewers with Tragic Confession: “My Father Took the Ritual for Me and Passed Away”

Shaman Ham Soo-hyun, who rose to fame after appearing on SBS’s Fortune Tellers’ Love, opened up about her painful family history during her guest appearance on the April 29th broadcast of SBS variety show Dolsing Fourmen.

In the emotional interview, Ham Soo-hyun revealed that she is a third-generation shaman, following in the footsteps of her grandmother and father.

Her grandmother, she shared, was a renowned spiritual figure who built temples and was visited by high-profile individuals for her rituals. “As a child, I didn’t even know my grandmother was a shaman,” Ham Soo-hyun recalled. “When I asked why she had a statue of Buddha at home, my father would just say she was unwell.”

She went on to share that she had been seeing spirits since the age of 6 or 7, although as a child she mistook them for cartoon characters. “I thought they were squirrels or Mickey Mouse. I even told my mom, ‘I saw Mickey Mouse outside the window,’” she said, surprising the hosts with her candor.

Ham Soo-hyun, who previously worked at a state-owned bank, tried to resist becoming a shaman for 10 years by undergoing nureum-gut (rituals to suppress spiritual calling). Despite her efforts, the physical and mental toll became unbearable. “I gained over 60kg, lost sight in one eye, and began limping,” she said. “The rituals had to be performed more frequently.”

She also revealed her long-term dependence on medication for depression, panic disorder, and insomnia. “I needed to function in society and sleep at night, so I had no choice,” she admitted.

Ultimately, at age 23, she resigned from the bank and accepted her spiritual calling. But what’s most heartbreaking is the role her father played. Wanting his daughter to live a normal life, he chose to undergo the spirit possession ritual in her place — a decision that eventually led to his deteriorating health and death four years ago.

“It should’ve been my grandmother or me, but my father stepped in,” she explained. “I feel intense guilt, wondering if it’s my fault he passed away.” Ham Soo-hyun tearfully described her father as someone who deeply cherished her. “He was just like Yang Gwan-shik from When Life Gives You Tangerines – sweet, doting, and always called me ‘princess’,” she said, leaving viewers deeply moved.

Her candidness and vulnerability resonated deeply with the Dolsing Fourmen cast, who praised her courage in sharing such a personal journey. As the interview came to a close, viewers were left not only with a deeper understanding of Ham Soo-hyun’s extraordinary life, but also a powerful reminder of the sacrifices that often go unseen behind someone’s calling.