When music and dating titles started to feel repetitive in early 2026, Disney+ sparked new excitement with the spiritual survival reality show Battle of destinies. Among the 49 established metaphysical experts, one name quickly stood out as a phenomenon: Maehwa Doryung.
From the very first episodes, Maehwa Doryung broke every stereotype associated with traditional shamans. With porcelain skin, refined features and an elegant aura, he was quickly nicknamed the “visual center” of the program. Korean viewers even compared her appearance to leading men from historical dramas and top-tier K-pop idols.
Short clips featuring Maehwa Doryung have gained huge popularity on social media platforms. Fans of the K-Occult genre have compared it to characters from webtoons and productions such as The guest AND Connectionsaying it elevates the image of young shamans into something modern and recognizable.
The title “Maehwa Doryung” it’s more than just a nickname: it reflects his style of fortune-telling: calm, gentle, but remarkably accurate. In the Korean Mugyo (shamanism) tradition, “Doryung” is an honorific used for refined young male shamans, symbolizing a new wave of Gen Zs in the spiritual world.
What further fascinated the media was his unexpected past. Before embracing shamanism, Maehwa Doryung was a devout Christian studying to become a pastor. His life changed dramatically after experiencing shin-byeong, a mysterious spiritual illness that according to Korean shamanism signals a divine calling. After enduring intense physical and psychological distress, he finally accepted what he described as a spiritual convocationleaving behind his previous religious path to become a shaman.
ON Battle of destinieswhile many competitors rely on structured systems such as Saju (four pillar astrology) or Tarot, Maehwa Doryung represents the “pure intuition” field. Practice shin-jeom, a method said to involve a direct spiritual connection to perceive past and future events.
His most talked about moment came during the “Reading the deceased” challenge. With only a photograph and limited background information, he detailed a historic 2001 fire accident and the sacrifice of firefighter Kim Cheol-hong. His statement that he could have “listen” the echoes of the past stunned judges and viewers alike. Although the segment later faced criticism from the grieving family over concerns of commercializing the tragedy, few denied the intensity of his performance.
Following the popularity of the show, Maehwa Doryung Shrine, Man-cheon-ju-wol (“The moon shines on ten thousand rivers”) in Mokpo, has become a highly sought-after destination. Appointments are reportedly fully booked, with consultations limited to Saturdays at around KRW 50,000 per session. Notably, it only requires the customer’s name when booking, an approach that many young followers interpret as a sign of spiritual trust.
In today’s modern and fast-paced society, Maehwa Doryung stands at the crossroads between tradition and trend. More than just a shaman with idol-level imagesrepresents a revitalized image of Korean popular spirituality: professional, youthful and undeniably magnetic.
