Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI Buddha's birthday is one of Korea's biggest national holidays. But apparently, Buddhism is also the biggest “it” thing for the younger millennials and Gen Z struggling through the turbulence of life.On Monday afternoon, in celebration of Buddha’s Birthday in the year 2569 of the Buddhist calendar, a long line of about 30 people formed outside Yeonhwa Temple in Dongdaemun District, eastern Seoul, as they waited to visit the Buddha Birthday Cafe.Among the visitors in line were many in their 20s and 30s. All 20 or so seats inside the cafe were filled.
Balloons reading “Happy birthday Buddha” were strung up inside, and a sign on the wall read, “Anywhere is Sukhavati if you are with Buddha.”Sukhavati refers to Pure Land in Sanskrit and is similar to the Christian notion of paradise or heaven.“I used to be into K-pop idols, so I’m familiar with birthday cafe culture,” said Park Hyeon-min, a 30-year-old office worker visiting the birthday cafe. “The Buddha Birthday Cafe feels novel yet familiar.”A “birthday cafe,” or, a portmanteau of the Korean word for birthday —— and cafe, is a tradition that originated in K-pop fandoms, which commonly hold events to celebrate the birthdays of idols or animated characters. Yeonhwa Temple has hosted this Buddha Birthday Cafe for the second year in a row.Visitors to Yeonhwa Temple took photos in front of the balloons and messages, enjoying themselves as if they were at an amusement park.
The temple also served a menu item called “lotus latte,” decorated with lotus-shaped chocolates.In Buddhism, the lotus symbolizes the Buddha’s compassion and wisdom. Since the cafe opened on Wednesday, a total of 500 lotus lattes have been prepared — and all ingredients were used up by Monday afternoon.“I saw a post about it on social media and came to a temple for the first time,” said Kim Su-jeong, a 26-year-old university student. “I’ve been suffering from job search stress, but I feel much more at peace now.”As of 3 p.m. Monday, posts related to the Buddha Birthday Cafe had been viewed more than 513,000 times on X, formerly Twitter.The Buddhist community’s efforts to reinterpret religion in more accessible ways are resonating with younger generations.
Most visitors to the 2025 Seoul International Buddhism Expo, which ran at Coex in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, from April 3 to 6, were millennials and Gen Z, according its organizers.Of the 42,765 people who preregistered, 76 percent — about 32,500 — were in their 20s and 30s. In addition to the expo, programs that offer overnight stays at temples are also gaining popularity among young people.According to the Cultural Corps of Korean Buddhism under the Jogye Order, a record 617,070 people participated in such programs, called temple stays, last year. That’s about 52 times the number who participated when the program first launched in 2002 with just 11,714 visitors.Even parody events like “I’m Going to the Temple” — a play on the dating show “I’m Solo” — are popular.From April 18 to 19, the Jogye Order’s social welfare foundation held the “Naneun Jeollo,” which can be translated to “I’m Going to the Temple,” event at Ssanggye Temple in Hadong County, South Gyeongsang, drawing more than 1,300 applicants for a one-night, two-day experience — a competition rate of more than 50 to one.A similar event at Jeondeung Temple in Incheon last April had a 15 to 1 rate, showing that interest has more than tripled in a year.Comedian Yoon Sung-ho, 49, who created the viral parody character DJ NewJeansNim, also contributed to the trend.
In 2023, he released an EDM track titled “Buddha Handsome,” the music video for which had surpassed 1.19 million views on YouTube as of Monday.One comment read, “Maybe because it’s fun, I naturally found myself becoming interested in Buddhism.”The Buddhist community believes that this increased engagement from younger generations stems from a lowered barrier to entry through diverse programs.“The image of temples is shifting to one where younger people can visit freely,” said Venerable Myojang, who chairs the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism's social welfare foundation. “In the past, Buddhism seemed ‘old and outdated’ to younger generations, but now, there are many opportunities to encounter it in a more accessible and friendly way.”“Buddhism’s flexible and tolerant atmosphere seems to appeal to the MZ Generation, who value freedom,” said Song Jae-ryong, professor of sociology at Kyung Hee University. “Buddhism is gaining popularity because it allows people to find answers to their worries — like employment or the future — within themselves.”BY PARK JONG-SUH [ [email protected]
