The Social Welfare Foundation of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism announced Tuesday that it is recruiting unmarried men and women in their 40s to participate in "Na-neun Jeolro, Hwagyesa," a temple stay program offering matchmaking opportunities for singles. The program had previously targeted those in their 20s and 30s, marking the first time it has opened to participants in their 40s.
The foundation plans to accept applications from unmarried individuals born between January 1, 1975, and December 31, 1984, selecting 10 men and 10 women for a two-day, one-night temple stay at Hwagyesa Temple in Gangbuk-gu, Seoul, on the 5th and 6th of next month.
"We prepared this special program in response to numerous requests from those in their 40s for a chance to participate," a foundation official said. "Considering the temple's space capacity and the preferences of applicants, this event will be conducted without media access to the venue."
The matchmaking program "Meeting Temple Stay," which has been run since 2008 as part of the Ministry of Health and Welfare's population education promotion support project, gained popularity last year after being renamed "Na-neun Jeolro," inspired by the popular dating reality show "I Am Solo" (Na-neun Solo). "Na-neun Jeolro, Naksansa," held at Naksansa Temple in Yangyang, Gangwon Province, this past August drew a 70-to-1 application competition ratio and resulted in six couples.
Prospective applicants can submit their applications via a Google Form posted in the announcements section of the Jogye Order Social Welfare Foundation's website from 10 a.m. on the 12th until 1 p.m. on the 20th.
The foundation plans to hold a "Na-neun Jeolro" event for those in their 30s at Baekyangsa Temple in November, followed by a December gathering organized like an alumni reunion for past program participants.
