"This Time, It's the 30s and 40s Singles' Turn"... 'Naneun Jeollo' at Haeinsa, Home of the Tripitaka Koreana

A two-day, one-night program at Haeinsa in Hapcheon on Dec. 5-6

Applications accepted Nov. 3-16; participants can also view the Tripitaka Koreana

A thousand-year-old temple that houses the Tripitaka Koreana will become a meeting place for unmarried men and women in their 30s and 40s. “Naneun Jeollo,” a program that helps people find a partner at a temple, will this time be held as a special event for people in their 30s and 40s.

Monks are carving woodblocks for the Tripitaka at Haeinsa Temple in Hapcheon, South Gyeongsang Province. Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism Social Welfare Foundation

The Social Welfare Foundation of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism said on November 3 that it will hold “Naneun Jeollo: Haeinsa” at Haeinsa Temple in Hapcheon, South Gyeongsang Province, from December 5 to 6, 2026.

The event is designed for unmarried men and women in their 30s and 40s, who have had relatively few opportunities to participate in the program. The foundation said it planned the event in response to steady requests from people in this age group, giving participants of similar ages a chance to share their lives and values and pursue meaningful relationships.

Haeinsa, where the event will take place, is a Dharma Jewel temple that houses the Tripitaka Koreana, a UNESCO Memory of the World. Over the course of a two-day, one-night stay at the temple, participants will have time to get to know one another and an opportunity to view the Tripitaka Koreana up close.

“Naneun Jeollo” is a dating program launched in 2023 to help address the low birthrate. It combines a temple stay with opportunities for unmarried men and women to meet. The foundation said there have been cases of participants who met through the program marrying and having children.

Monk Doryun, CEO of the foundation, said, “A precious relationship begins with the process of understanding and getting to know one another. We will support the good relationships formed at Haeinsa so they can last and bear happy fruit.”

A poster recruiting participants for “3040 Special: Naneun Jeollo,” to be held at Haeinsa Temple in Hapcheon, South Gyeongsang Province, on December 5-6. Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism Social Welfare Foundation

Monk Hyeil, the abbot of Haeinsa, said, “Following in the footsteps of our ancestors, who created the Tripitaka Koreana to overcome a national crisis, we decided to hold ‘Naneun Jeollo’ with the aim of helping address the national challenge of the low birthrate.”

Applications will be accepted on the website of the Social Welfare Foundation of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism from 2 p.m. on November 3 through 10 a.m. on November 16, 2026. The application process consists of submitting a Google Form in the first round and a self-introduction video in the second. Detailed eligibility requirements and the number of available spots can be found in the website’s announcements.

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