First Child Born Through 'I Go to the Temple' Program... Couple Who Met at Naksansa Temple Welcomes a Son

The 2024 Final Couple Welcomes a Healthy Son

The first child has been born to a married couple who met through "I Am the Temple," a matchmaking program for single men and women organized by the Buddhist community.

Participants of 'I Am the Temple' having a rotation chat at Naksansa Dareheon. The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism Social Welfare Foundation

On the 17th, The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism Social Welfare Foundation announced that a couple in their thirties, who met through the "I Am the Temple" program, gave birth to a healthy son the previous day. The program, launched in November 2023, is celebrating its first birth of a second generation. The couple participated in "I Am the Temple" held at Naksansa in Yangyang, Gangwon Province in August 2024 as Cowherd No. 5 and Weaver Girl No. 8, became a final couple, and went on to marry in October of the following year.

Yoo Cheolju, Planning & Public Relations Expert at the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism Social Welfare Foundation, said, "As 'I Am the Temple' is a project addressing low birth rates, we are especially delighted and pleased about the birth of the first child," adding, "The foundation plans to present a commemorative gift for the birth."

The Jogye Order has been running "Meeting Templestay" programs since 2013, but in 2023, the name and format were updated to launch "I Am the Temple" to reflect the latest trends. "I Am the Temple" combines templestay and matchmaking, offering single men and women a natural opportunity to meet, helping them form positive views on marriage, and ultimately tackling the societal challenge of low birth rates. The program is also open to young people of other faiths or no religion, lowering religious barriers.

Participants engage in activities such as "Heart-Pounding Random Dates," where partners are selected through a draw or by picking belongings; lively "TMI Talk" sessions; rotation tea chats; blind dates; couple yoga; and beach plogging dates. Of particular note is the blind date on the "Path Where Dreams Come True" leading to the Seawater Gwaneum Statue at Naksansa, in which one person from the matched pair wears an eye mask and walks the path guided by their partner, helping to build trust and emotional connection.

At the most recent event, held on July 11–12 at Naksansa, the application rate reached 211 to 1, breaking previous records and demonstrating explosive popularity. The couple-matching rate is also high: about half of participants formed final couples up to last year. This year, at Seonunsa (20 participants), Donghwasa (24 participants), and Naksansa (20 participants), there were 6, 8, and 5 final couples respectively. So far, three couples have already married and one couple is scheduled to wed this October. According to the Jogye Order, there are also 5 to 6 couples currently discussing marriage.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.