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, wh