Celebratory Buddhist services marking Buddha's Birthday in the Buddhist year 2570 will be held simultaneously on May 24 at Jogyesa Temple in Seoul and at temples across the country.
According to the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism on May 23, the celebratory service for Buddha's Birthday will be conducted with the attendance of approximately 10,000 members of the four-fold Buddhist community, including Executive Director Ven. Jinwoo. The service at Jogyesa will be moderated by Ven. Damsan, head of the Jogye Order's General Affairs Bureau, and will begin with a temple precinct consecration ritual, the offering of the six dharma offerings, the striking of the drum, and the striking of the bell (28 times). The service will then proceed with the bathing of the Buddha statue and anointment ceremony, the offering of lanterns, candles, incense, tea, rice, and a representative flower offering, followed by prayers, a celebratory address by Executive Director Ven. Jinwoo, congratulatory remarks, a dharma talk by the Supreme Patriarch, and a vow recitation by a lay representative.
The Jogye Order has invited a large number of socially disadvantaged individuals to this year's celebratory service. The parents of a Vietnamese migrant worker who died during a crackdown, the parents of a Coupang worker who died from work-related causes, a same-sex couple recognized as dependents under the National Health Insurance Service, dismissed workers from Sejong Hotel, peace activists from World Without War, and representatives of the bereaved families of the Aricell disaster will participate together to add meaning to Buddha's Birthday.
The "2026 Buddhist Awards Ceremony" will also be held during the Jogyesa service. This year's recipients of the Buddhist Awards are author Hwang Sok-yong, Kookbo Design CEO Hwang Chang-yeon, Shinsi Company Art Director Park Myung-sung, and national snowboarder Kim Sang-kyum.
Author Hwang Sok-yong was recognized for embodying Buddhist teachings such as dependent origination, reincarnation, and bodhisattva practice through literature in works that traverse the pain of Korean modern history, including "Jang Gil-san," "Princess Bari," and "Three Generations of Railroad Workers." CEO Hwang Chang-yeon devoted himself to the 2025 restoration work following the fire at the Korean Buddhist History and Culture Memorial Hall, contributing to the smooth continuation of the order's administrative operations through swift recovery.
Director Park Myung-sung, who has produced numerous musicals including "Mamma Mia," "Aida," and "Chicago," served as general director of the "2024 Buddhist Grand Dharma Assembly" and was praised for artistically realizing traditional Buddhist rituals through modern directorial techniques. Kim Sang-kyum, who won a silver medal at this year's Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics, embodied the Buddhist spirit of practice by performing 108 prostrations daily for 100 days ahead of his competition, sublimating it into athletic performance, the Jogye Order said.
First held in 2004 and now in its 23rd year, the Buddhist Awards recognize Buddhists who practice the Buddha's teachings in their daily lives and live according to Buddhist principles.
