Neolithic people in Korea believed in shamanism, which is a native religious tradition practised widely throughout Korea and northeastern Asia. At the centre of shamanic worship were the sun god and the spirits of the ancestors. Gods and spirits were either good or evil so in order to call on good spirits and to avert evil ones rituals with music and dance were performed. Practical matters important to society were also dealt with at shaman rituals, such as the selection of a clan chief and the execution of criminals. At this time the ruler was also chief shaman. Later in the Iron Age (around 300-0 BC) religious and political leadership were separated.

Shamanism continued to be of importance even after the introduction of Buddhism in the 4th century AD. Shamanism is still practiced in Korea today. Rituals are normally performed by female shamans called mudang. In the rituals noise, glitter and rhythm is combined through emphasis on dance, on rhythmic instruments and on dangling attachments. It is clear that past traditions have been carried on. Objects such as bells, rattles and mirrors, which were of ritual significance in the Bronze Age, still form part of a mudang’s equipment.