Socar Hosts Carsharing Event Amid Growing Popularity of Templestay

Socar announced on the 25th that it will hold a car-sharing discount event in collaboration with the Korea Buddhist Cultural Foundation.

Through this event, Socar will provide a 60% discount coupon for car-sharing to Socar members who go on a templestay until the end of this year.

By entering the promotion code available on the event page within the Socar application into the 'My Coupons' screen, users will receive a 60% rental fee discount coupon applicable when using car-sharing for 12 hours or more. The coupon can be used when renting vehicles in certain metropolitan areas with many popular temples (Seoul, Incheon) and the Honam region (Gwangju, Jeonnam, Jeonbuk).

According to the Korea Buddhist Cultural Foundation, the number of templestay participants in the first quarter of this year increased by 28% compared to the same period last year. Last year, participants in their 20s and 30s accounted for about 40% of the total, showing strong interest among the younger generation.

The demand for templestays was also confirmed in Socar's car-sharing data. According to Socar data, the number of car-sharing uses for templestays from January to September this year increased by 34% compared to the same period last year.

The temple most visited by Socar members was Songgwangsa in Suncheon, Jeonnam. Seonamsa (Suncheon, Jeonnam), Hyangilam (Yeosu, Jeonnam), and Yukjijangsa (Yangju, Gyeonggi) were also popular destinations.

Andonghwa, head of Socar's car-sharing group, said, "Since many temples are located in places difficult to reach by public transportation such as buses, we prepared this promotion so that people can comfortably enjoy templestays using car-sharing."