Sokcho City's Marriage Encouragement 'Sokchoin' Project a Major Success... Four Couples Formed

Sokcho City Hosts "Transcending the Mundane: Making Connections with Naksansa"
Fostering Connections Through a Nature and Temple Stay Program

Sokcho City in Gangwon Province achieved notable results at the "Transcending the Mundane: Making Connections with Naksansa" marriage encouragement event, held at Naksansa Temple for two days and one night starting November 8. A total of four couples formed new relationships during the event.

A view of Sokcho City Hall.

Fifty-five single men and women from across the country, aged 27 to 39, applied for the event, and thirty were ultimately selected to participate.

Moving beyond simple introductions, the event incorporated elements of nature and temple stay, such as temple tours, wave meditation, tea conversations, and making lotus lanterns for the heart. These activities allowed participants to naturally understand and connect with one another in the tranquil atmosphere of the temple.

Participants expressed their satisfaction, saying, "It wasn't a formal meeting, but a time to slowly open our hearts," and "Healing and conversations at Naksansa drew out our true feelings." The post-event satisfaction survey also reflected this positive response, with an average score of 4.8 out of 5.

Additionally, participants actively took part in Sokcho City's Hometown Love Donation program, contributing to regional development and adding further meaning to the event.

Sokcho City and Naksansa Temple hope that the couples who met through this program will continue their relationships. Based on this year's achievements, the city plans to further develop the program by introducing a variety of themes, enabling more young people to participate in the future.

Sokcho City views this event not as a simple occasion, but as a meaningful pillar of its youth population policy to address the issue of regional population decline. The city plans to establish an integrated support system that connects matchmaking with marriage, childbirth, and childcare by linking the program with policies supporting marriage, childbirth, and parenting.

Lee Byeongseon, Mayor of Sokcho, stated, "I hope this matchmaking event becomes a time for love and healing, allowing participants to get to know each other and reflect on themselves." He added, "Sokcho City will continue to support young people's lives and dreams, fostering love and helping them build happy families as a warm and welcoming city."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.