Participants take a rest during the "I'm Going to the Temple" temple stay program at Naksan Temple in Yangyang County, Gangwon Province, in August 2023. Yonhap

The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism said Wednesday it is recruiting participants in their 40s for its group dating temple stay program called "I'm Going to the Temple."

The program's name playfully references the popular matchmaking show "I'm Solo." While "I'm Going to the Temple" was previously targeted at singles in their 20s and 30s, it is now open to those in their 40s.

Eligible participants for this round must be unmarried men and women born between Jan. 1, 1975, and Dec. 31, 1984.

From the applicants, 10 men and 10 women will be selected to join a 1-night, 2-day temple stay at Hwagye Temple in Gangbuk District, Seoul, from Nov. 5 to 6.

Since 2012, the Jogye Order has been hosting "Meeting Temple Stay" programs to facilitate encounters between men and women.

The event held in July and August at Naksan Temple in Yangyang County, Gangwon Province, was fiercely competitive, being oversubscribed 70 times, resulting in a total of six couples.

An official from the temple said, "We've received many requests for opportunities for those in their 40s, so we prepared this special program. This time, the event will not be open to the media."

Interested participants in their 40s can apply via a Google Form linked in the announcement section of the Korean Buddhist Foundation for Social Welfare website (www.jabinanum.or.kr) from Sept. 12 to 20.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.