Korean mask dances often have stories that relate to Buddhist Monks. Because eight people, all of whom are monks, generally show up in the stories, these characters are called "pal-muk." "Pal" is a Korean word meaning "eight." The word "muk" means "black" and describes the black costumes they wear in the mask dance. These eight monks appear especially in "Sandae Nori" dances of the middle provinces of Korea and the mask dances of Hwang-hae Province. The use of the word "muk" to describe the monks is not clearly understood, since true Buddhist monks do not wear black. The dancers costumes are quite different from real Buddhist vestments. The dancers also wear masks that represent the faces of ghosts, and the dance is performed to help drive out evil spirits. In addition, the dancers try to imitate the movements and stance of old monks in an attempt to make fun. They also portray the monks as characters who like to dance and sing. Thus, they become figures that dance powerfully and dominate the performance area. The author has studied the area of mask dance related to monks for more than ten years. He has previously written in 27 volumes (1995.10) of Korean folk art about "pal-muk" being related to eight monks. In this paper he will supplement the former journals and deal more deeply with this issue. The purpose of this paper is to prove how and why these dancers, who are really gods protecting Buddhism, appear as eight monks. This will be explained by discussing the relationship of the mask dance to Buddhism, the secularization process of Buddhism in Korea, the folk religious meaning of these eight monks, and the relationship of these eight Buddhist monks to the existing mask dances. Thereby, he will explain the people's acceptance of Buddhism and the dance. Historically, these eight monks have had a strong influence on popular Buddhism, and they have been handed down in a variety of Buddhist sculptures, such as the "Sokkuram" of the Shilla Era and the stone pagodas of the Chosun Era. Therefore, it is not unusual to find these same eight Buddhist monks in mask dances, fables, and other literary works. Of the eight monks, Deva and Naga are the gods who protect Buddhist law. They are admired as the "Heaven God" and the "Dragon God," similar to characters found in Korean folk religion. Garua appears in the "Kiak," which is the mask dance of the Baek-jae Era; Gandharva appears in "Hyaesung Song," which is a song of the Shilla Era; and "Yaka" arises in fables of the late Chosun Era and in the "Sandae Nori" dances outside Namdaemun, the South Gate of Seoul, in the late 18th Century. Another god, Asura, is a fighter and served as the god who would drive out ghosts. The others, Kinara and Mahoraga, also appear as gods in folk music. Of the eight Buddhist monks, Gandharva, Kinara and Mahoraga had influence as gods of music, song, and dance. Asura, Yaka and the others were regarded as quarrelsome in nature. In addition, Garua represented "Gumsizo," which is an imaginary bird capable of sending away evil and bringing good fortune. These points help explain why nowadays "Pal-muk" monks are represented as having quarrelsome characters and appear as playboys who like singing, dancing, playing, and womanizing. The phenomenon whereby the eight "palmuk" monks started from eight despised Buddhist monks is related to the secularization and acceptance of Buddhism by the people. It is, therefore, understandable that the eight Buddhist monks, who protected Buddhist law, would become secularized. In summary, the eight "palmuk" monks are the embodiment of eight Buddhist monks / gods in the late Chosun Era. Because the origin and character of the "palmuk" monks has not been discussed completely, this issue will be researched and discussed in future studies.