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South Korea's Temple Stays Hit Record 350,000, While Monk Ordinations Plummet

South Korea's temple stay program reached a record high in 2025 with nearly 350,000 participants, continuing strong growth since its 2002 inception for the World Cup. The Jogye Order plans to expand the program by linking it with regional tourism to boost local economies. However, a parallel crisis is unfolding as monastic ordinations have plummeted to just 81 last year, down sharply from 2014. This shortage of new monks threatens the religion's foundation, prompting a strategic pivot to promote a more youthful and dynamic "hip Buddhism" to attract younger generations.

Key Points: Record Temple Stays in South Korea Amid Monk Shortage

  • Record 349,219 temple stay participants in 2025
  • Program began for 2002 World Cup accommodation
  • 4.18 million total participants since 2002
  • Sharp decline in new monk ordinations
  • Focus shifts to "hip Buddhism" for youth
2 min read

South Korea: Nearly 350,000 people enjoy overnight 'temple stays' in 2025

A record 349,219 people joined temple stays in South Korea in 2025, even as monastic ordinations hit a critical low, threatening Buddhism's future.

"a critical issue undermining the foundation of Korean Buddhism - Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism"

Seoul, Jan 18

Nearly 350,000 people in South Korea took part in "temple stays," or an overnight cultural program held at Buddhist temples, last year, marking the highest figure since the program was first launched in 2002, according to the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism on Sunday.

A record 349,219 people, comprising 293,704 South Koreans and 55,515 foreign tourists, participated in the program at 158 temples nationwide in 2025, up by 5.1 per cent from the previous year, according to the Jogye Order.

The program, which allows visitors to experience daily life at a temple, was first introduced to promote traditional Korean culture and help ease a shortage of accommodation during the 2002 World Cup, jointly hosted by South Korea and Japan, reports Yonhap news agency.

The number of temples taking part in the program, as well as visitors, has sharply increased over the past two decades, up from some 2,500 participants at 33 temples in the first year. Some 4.18 million people have taken part in the program so far.

The Jogye Order said it plans to further promote the temple stay program, in conjunction with cultural and tourism resources outside of Seoul, to help boost regional economies.

It also plans to organise specialised programs focused on stress relief and mental health, as well as initiatives tailored for socially marginalised groups.

Meanwhile, according to the Jogye Order, only 81 people received monastic ordination last year, a sharp drop from 226 in 2014.

The decline means fewer monks equipped for missionary and pastoral roles, fueling a vicious cycle of shrinking Buddhist membership and dwindling monastics.

The Jogye Order has labelled the trend as "a critical issue undermining the foundation of Korean Buddhism," and has shifted its focus to younger generations, promoting what it calls "hip Buddhism" -- a vision of the religion as youthful, dynamic and culturally relevant.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

A
Arjun K
The numbers are impressive, but the last part about declining monastic ordination is worrying. It's a global trend, I think. Even in India, while pilgrimage tourism is booming, genuine interest in monastic life is not what it used to be. "Hip Buddhism" is an interesting attempt to stay relevant.
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Rohit P
Wow, 4.18 million participants since 2002! It shows there's a huge global appetite for authentic, peaceful experiences away from city chaos. I'd love to try something like this. Does anyone know if there are similar structured programs at Buddhist monasteries in places like Ladakh or Sikkim?
S
Sarah B
As a foreigner who visited Korea, I did a temple stay! It was a profound experience—waking up for morning chanting, eating temple food. It's more than tourism; it's a real reset. Great to see it's helping regional economies too. A fantastic model.
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Vikram M
The focus on stress relief programs is the need of the hour. In our fast-paced lives, whether in Seoul or Mumbai, people are desperately seeking peace. While the program is successful, I hope the commercialisation doesn't dilute the actual spiritual essence. That's a delicate balance.
K
Karthik V
Started because of a World Cup accommodation shortage and turned into a major cultural phenomenon! That's some innovative thinking. It's a lesson in how to preserve tradition by making it accessible and attractive to new generations, both locally and globally.

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