Hello! I'm happy to say that, yes, along with your point, sotdae indeed are viewed as guardians against evil and misfortune. This is not only recorded and observable in Inwang-san but also in places such as Geumjin-ri, Gangneung. More specifically, in some traditions, sotdae are viewed as being able to ward off japgwi (잡귀), assorted ghosts, who are said to bring harm to the living. This is particularly true in areas of Chungcheongbuk-do where rites to ward off evil that involve sotdae are listed as Important Folklore Assest of Chungcheongbuk-do (충청북도 민속자료). Related, we can also observe sotdae-je (솟대제), rites that acknowledge sotdae as tutelary deities. As totems with water fowl motifs, sotdae are also believed to ward off negative events related to fire. This is observed in susaldae-gosa (수살대고사). With that said, it's important to acknowledge that in some regions, the birds are not viewed as water fowl. Some variations acknowledge the motifs as magpies or crows, or other birds. The poles, or totems, you're referring to are jangseung (장승), and you're right! They also are erected as guardians against evil and misfortune, among other things. In fact, they are often viewed as working in unison with sotdae, appearing in folk rites around the country along with sotdae. There are several sources for this information. The first source is the folk, discussions with people in various regions. Second are folklorists, including Son Chin-tae, Lim Dong-kwan, Park Ho-won, among others. The first point is to remember the statement made at the beginning of the video: folklore often differs from region to region but all traditional views, regardless of whether they agree or not, are correct.

큰일하시네요...복받으실겁니다

니 추억속 감성만 감성이 아니란다