Considering that little research has been done on the global practice of Korean shamanism derived from the process of transmigration, this present study introduces a new approach as a comparative study. With an emphasis on the importance of the changing forms and trajectories of diasporic practices, this dissertation examines how the diasporic shamans access meaning in their localized practices in a culturally non-conventional context. Further, by engaging the process of globalization, this study also involves the particularity of the predominantly Christianized Korean diasporic community as the current context of diasporic shamanic practice in the U.S.

If "newness" may be identified by the notion of "different, albeit converging" with traditional practice as Peter Clarke indicates, Korean diasporic shamanism in the U.S. is itself evolving toward a new form of religion. The trace of something new observed in the practice of Korean diasporic shamanism, including new deities and summary rituals, is identified with a contextualized induction that is affected by the individual shaman's encounter with the new cultural environment supplied by geographical relocation. In this, the "new" practice of Korean shamanism may be understood by the probative analysis as a "negotiation" with its non-traditional cultural context in a diasporic context.

Overall, my study seeks to contribute to the larger understanding of shamanic adaptation to a new cultural context, partaking in the dialogue not only with the diasporic diversity in the immigrant society but also with the shared experiences in the integrative global community.