A "Naneun Jeollo" event held Oct. 24-25 at Jikjisa Temple in Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang Province (The Korean Buddhist Foundation for Social Welfare)
A "Naneun Jeollo" event held Oct. 24-25 at Jikjisa Temple in Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang Province (The Korean Buddhist Foundation for Social Welfare)

More than 1,000 single Koreans, mostly in their 40s, applied for a templestay matchmaking program held by a Buddhist foundation, the organization said Saturday.

The Korean Buddhist Foundation for Social Welfare said 1,012 people in their late 30s and 40s applied for the two-day program, called “Naneun Jeollo” ("I Go to the Temple"), to be held Nov. 15-16 at Sudeoksa Temple in Yesan County, South Chungcheong Province.

The matchmaking program, which began in 2013 to promote marriage, limits eligibility to people between 35 and 49 to reflect the trend in Korea of marriage occurring later in life. Of the applicants, 390 were men and 622 were women. Only 10 men and 10 women were selected to participate.

The foundation added that during a separate two-day meeting held Friday and Saturday at Jikjisa Temple in Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, six pairs, out of 24 participants, showed romantic interest in each other.


shinjh@heraldcorp.com