Who are the Koreans? What is their character? What are their ideals and aspirations of Koreans that make them behave in certain ways? What are their dominant concerns and interests, their worldviews that best express their underlying beliefs and attitudes? These are not questions concerned with a moral issue of how Koreans should or must live. Instead, these questions are about what matters most to Koreans, their emotional security, their families and communities, their uncertainties and fears, and their hopes in regard to the larger society. Answers to these questions are systematically and analytically discussed in this book. In particular, the book examines the salient aspects of Korean religio-cultural tradition, specifically shamanism and Confucianism, that have left a lasting impression on both the mental landscape and attitude of contemporary Koreans. There is one compelling and obvious reason for examining Korean religious tradition as a point of departure. As the most important repository of Korean culture, these religions and their values continue to exert overwhelming influence on the thought and behavior of Koreans as well as on their newly acquired modern ways.