Buddhism Captivates MZ Generation... 540,000 Temple Stay Participants and NewJeans Monk Phenomenon

Expanding Connections with Young People
Perceived as a Kind of 'Healing Experience'
Trend of Increasing Buddhist Followers Only

Office worker Mr. Lee (34) visited a templestay at Seonunsa Temple in Gochang-gun, Jeonbuk. He went after a friend strongly recommended it when he was feeling depressed following a breakup with his girlfriend. Mr. Kim said, “I don’t particularly follow any religion, but I liked the atmosphere the temple gave off, and my favorability toward Buddhism increased,” adding, “I felt healed while having tea and conversation with a monk.”

Temple stay participants are experiencing Buddhist culture. [Image source=Temple Stay homepage]

Amid a clear trend of religious disaffiliation, Buddhism is gaining popularity among the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z). This is because they are expanding points of contact with young people through various contents such as templestays and Newjin monks. It is being evaluated as a case that shows how religion should change and adapt in modern society.

According to the Korean Buddhist Cultural Foundation of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism on the 18th, there are currently a total of 158 officially designated templestay temples (including 7 preliminary designations), with cumulative participants surpassing 6.76 million as of last year. By year, the numbers were 258,000 in 2021, 429,000 in 2022, and 546,000 in 2023. Templestays offer experiential, relaxation, and one-day programs that participants can choose according to their preferences. Activities such as Zen meditation, 108 prostrations, and making prayer beads are considered a form of healing experience.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Newjin monks have risen as stars in the Buddhist community. Comedian Yoon Seong-ho is active under the Dharma name Newjin, and he has attracted attention by transforming Buddhist teachings into electronic dance music (EDM). Scenes of him chanting phrases like “This too shall pass,” “Rebirth in the Pure Land,” and “Buddha Hands Up” at various events, exciting the audience, have rapidly spread through social media and online communities. Jinwoo Sunim, the head of the Jogye Order’s General Affairs Office, said, “Newjin monks played a big role in introducing new and youthful Buddhism to the younger generation,” and even gifted him a DJ headset.

Although the number of people who actively believe in religion is steadily decreasing, favorability toward Buddhism is rising. According to a survey conducted by Embrain Trend Monitor from the 13th to 17th of last month targeting 1,000 adult men and women nationwide, the proportion of religious people dropped from 44.9% in 2016 to 36.3% in 2024. By religion, Protestantism (49.3%), Buddhism (30.6%), and Catholicism (18.7%) had the highest proportions of believers, with Buddhism showing a slight increasing trend.

Overall, 65% of respondents, mainly younger age groups, recognized the phenomenon of Buddhism rising in popularity, and those in their 20s and 30s strongly felt this trend. Among religions that religious people found most favorable or were willing to consider, Buddhism ranked 62%, Catholicism 41.6%, and Protestantism 12.4%.

Professor Gu Jeong-woo of the Department of Sociology at Sungkyunkwan University said, “Which religion is more popular can vary depending on the era and circumstances,” adding, “Since this is an era of religious disaffiliation, it cannot be seen as a strong belief in Buddhism. However, it seems that people are seeking opportunities to reflect on and contemplate themselves.”