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The Templestay program saw a record 349,219 participants in 2025, including 293,704 Koreans and 55,515 from abroad, marking a 5.1 percent increase from 2024, the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, the country’s largest Buddhist sect, has reported. Including repeat visits, total attendance reached 625,304.

Launched in 2002 during the Korea-Japan World Cup to promote traditional culture, the Templestay program allows participants to experience daily life at Buddhist temples. Foreign participation, which first exceeded 50,000 during the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, rebounded after pandemic-related declines. Officials attribute the growth to rising tourism and global interest in Korean culture, particularly fueled by K-pop.

The Jogye Order plans to expand programs connected to local tourism, meditation for mental wellness and initiatives supporting socially vulnerable groups.