In recent times, Christians have been fairly successful in promoting their religion. Although the largest share of Koreans (49%) profess no particular faith, 27% are Christian, and 23% are Buddhists. The remainder are divided among various modern religions, including Moon's Unification Church, and such older traditional belief systems as Shamanism and Confucianism.

Shamanism, though actively practiced by less than 1 percent of the population, is surprisingly pervasive in Korean life. This may be in part because Buddhism, which arrived from China in 372, absorbed many of the principles of Korean Shamanism.

It's easy to see Shamanic influence today in such Korean traditions as making rock piles. Shamanists believe that inanimate objects, including rocks, posess spirits just as humans do. Adding a rock to such a pile as this one is said to bring the contributor good fortune and wish fulfillment.

Koreans love to hike their mountains, and Odeasan National Park is a popular weekend destination. While they're here, many of them pause to contribute to these impromptu objects of worship. Their quantity and size is testimony to the continued influence of the old religion, Shamanism, in Korean life.