Dealing
with intensely competitive college entrance exams has driven South Korean
students to despair, and sometimes to suicide, as they fight for the few places
in the best programs that are seen as the key to a successful career.
Anxious
parents have long sought hints from fortune-tellers about how well their children
will do in school. But now Byun and others are turning to divination for
specific guidance on picking the most promising activities, courses and
colleges.
In
the heat of summer, Byun went to the shaman's house in Seongnam, a city on the
outskirts of Seoul, giving her daughter's name and date of birth to the softly
spoken man dressed in a traditional, white Korean costume.
"I
could not have a heart-to-heart talk with anybody about this but I can speak
frankly about what's in my mind to him," Byun said after the 10-minute
consultation. "It was a big help to me."
RAIN
OR SHINE?
Shamans
base their recommendations on "saju", or fate, determined by the four
"pillars" of a person's life: the year, month, day and time of their
birth.
Every
bit helps, it would seem, when aiming for a spot at university.
Up
to 600,000 students take the college entrance exams each year and their
preparations are grueling. Teenagers put in long hours as they pack into cram
schools after a day of classes. Hoping to ease some of the stress, Song
Byung-chang has advised nearly 16,000 people over the last 19 years. Parents
turn to us shamans, he said, because luck plays a big part in a complicated
admissions process and his guidance can help families minimize the risks.
"If
I have to go to an outdoor event next week, I would probably check the weather
forecast," Song said, adding that fortune-telling "is exactly like
that."
Kim
Do-kyung started college preparations early for her 13-year-old son, consulting
Song about the boy's best subjects. Word of success spreads fast among parents
keen for any hint of help, she said.
"Many
parents come here by word of mouth because some moms said their child did
better than expected," she said.
(SEOUL Tue Sep 3, 2013 2:27pm EDT BY JANE CHUNG Editing by
John O'Callaghan and Robert Birsel)
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