"Every Press Adds Merit"...Buddhist Merchandise for 20s and 30s Sells Out in 50 Minutes

Bongeunsa Temple Shop's 'Gongdeok Keyring' Becomes a Sensation

Sells Out Quickly Despite Three-Per-Person Limit

"Open Run" Reflects Growing Interest in Buddhism Among 20s and 30s

To purchase Buddhist merchandise that makes the sound of a wooden chanting block, people are "open running" to Bongeunsa Temple even in the middle of a weekday.

According to online communities and social networking services (SNS) on September 18, all "Gongdeok Keyrings" sold at the Buddhist goods shop at Bongeunsa Temple in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on September 12, were sold out in about 50 minutes after sales began. Even though purchases were limited to three per person, stock quickly ran out. Office workers with ID cards around their necks flocked during their lunch breaks, and some even took vacation days specifically to buy the keyrings.

The Gongdeok Keyring is a keychain that makes both a mechanical keycap sound and a wooden chanting block sound when a button is pressed. It features designs of the twelve zodiac animals, from the rat to the pig, allowing customers to choose one that matches their zodiac sign. The price is 10,000 won each. The product quickly gained popularity on the interpretation that "every press adds a unit of merit." Comments on SNS include: "You naturally start looking for your own zodiac sign," "The design is cute and healing," and "Even temple keyrings are being upgraded these days."

Gongdeok Keyring. Jogyesa Instagram

'Gongdeok Keyring' draws a weekday daytime crowd of young people

Lines began to form even before sales started. SNS was flooded with photos of long queues in front of the Buddhist goods shop and posts sharing purchase stories. Some products sold out early on. Thread user A said that although they arrived at Bongeunsa Temple around 10:30 a.m. and were told the items were already sold out, they joined the line again after touring the temple, as more people continued to gather. A said, "By around 10:50 a.m., the line had nearly wrapped all the way around to the Jinyeomun Gate." However, the keyrings for the pig and rat zodiac signs were already out of stock at that point.

A line of people waiting at Bongeunsa Temple. Instagram timely_rain

With growing interest in Buddhism among young people, crowds are flocking to related events. The "2026 International Seon Meditation Conference" held by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism at Bongeunsa Temple in April 2026 attracted 50,000 visitors, and 55.9% of all experiential program participants were in their twenties and thirties. The Jogye Order analyzed that Seon meditation has become an alternative for mental healing among the youth who are suffering from stress and anxiety.

73% of visitors at Buddhist Expo in their 20s and 30s... Book sales also on the rise

'Gongdeok Keyring' Instagram search results. Instagram

The "2026 Seoul International Buddhism Expo" held at COEX last April attracted 250,000 visitors, setting an all-time record. This is an increase of 50,000 compared to last year's 200,000 visitors. According to the organizers, 73% of attendees were in their twenties and thirties, and 48% had no religious affiliation. This means that one out of two visitors had no specific religion. The number of people who pre-registered or purchased discounted tickets also exceeded 57,000, another all-time high.

According to internet bookstore YES24, Buddhist book sales in the first half of this year increased by 21% compared to the same period last year. Especially, introductory books on Buddhism surged by 264%. The best-selling title, "Living According to Buddha's Words," also topped the self-development category.

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