'Pray for wealth': Seoul Buddhist temple becomes Gen Z hot spot
Summary
Bongeun Temple in southern Seoul’s Gangnam District has become a popular destination for young visitors. Nearly half of those seen at the temple on Oct. 6 appeared to be in their 20s or 30s, with many praying for wealth and taking photos. Social media rumors, including claims about Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong visiting, have strengthened the temple’s reputation as a place to seek financial fortune. Young visitors have also embraced user-created rituals and the popular gongdeok keyring.
Key Facts
- Bongeun Temple has a history spanning more than 1,000 years and is located in the heart of Gangnam.
- On Oct. 2, a shipment of 2,000 gongdeok keychains sold out in two and a half hours despite a limit of three per customer.
- Young visitors have shared unofficial wealth-prayer rituals, including tossing a coin toward a Buddhist statue in a pond and walking clockwise around the Maitreya Buddha three times.
- A long line has formed at Nalmulgot, where visitors wash their hands and prayer beads with spring water before praying.
- A Bongeun Temple official said seeking wealth is not aligned with Buddhist doctrine but welcomed young visitors finding comfort at the temple.
Visitors look around the grounds in front of Daeungjeon, the main worship hall at Bongeun Temple in Samseong-dong, Gangnam District, southern Seoul, Oct. 6. Korea Times photo by Woo Tae-kyung
When visited on Oct. 6, Bongeun Temple in southern Seoul's affluent Gangnam District was bustling with young people, just as rumors of its sudden rise as a hot spot among Gen Z suggested. Nearly half of the visitors appeared to be in their 20s or 30s. Mostly couples and groups of friends, they prayed before Buddhist statues and took commemorative photos, leisurely enjoying the tranquil autumn atmosphere of the temple grounds.
Kim Yeo-reum, 25, who visited the temple with a friend, said she had taken a half-day off work to come on a weekday after hearing that the temple had become so popular that it was packed on holidays.
“I even ran into an elementary school classmate here today for the first time since graduation,” she said. “We went to elementary school together in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, which is quite far from Bongeun Temple, so I was surprised to see that so many people were coming here.”
Bongeun Temple, with a history spanning more than 1,000 years, has emerged as a popular destination among younger generations. Its prime location in the heart of Gangnam has long made it easily accessible and attracted plenty of visitors. But unlike in the past, when middle-aged and older Buddhist followers made up much of its congregation, the temple has recently seen a noticeable increase in young visitors.
Bongeun Temple has recently gained popularity on social media. Captured from Instagram
The trend of “Buddhism-core,” which presents Buddhism as a hip lifestyle choice, has played a role. But much of the temple’s newfound popularity stems from its reputation as a place to make wishes and seek good fortune, particularly in wealth.
Park Hyo-bin, 24, who was visiting the temple, said she had heard that prayers at Bongeun Temple were especially likely to be answered.
“I prayed to win the lottery,” she said.
Rumors that Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong visits the temple have further bolstered its reputation as a place to seek financial fortune. Park So-min and Kim Ji-hyun, both 25, said they had come after watching an Instagram video titled “The Temple Even Chairman Lee Jae-yong Visits.”
“We don't know if it's really true that this place brings good fortune with money, but we're preparing for jobs and wanted to come here to get some positive energy,” they said.
Social media users have even been sharing instructions on how to pray for wealth at Bongeun Temple. These are not official guidelines issued by the temple, but rituals devised by young visitors themselves. The suggestions have added activities resembling stops on a sightseeing itinerary, such as tossing a coin toward a Buddhist statue in a pond while making a wish or walking clockwise around the towering Maitreya Buddha three times.
A long line has also formed in front of Nalmulgot, a spring on the temple grounds where visitors can perform a ritual of washing their hands and prayer beads with water.
The “gongdeok keyring” is sold at the Buddhist goods shop at Bongeun Temple in Gangnam District, southern Seoul. The keychain, which mimics the shape of a wooden Buddhist percussion instrument, makes its sound when pressed, giving users the playful impression that they are accumulating merit with each press. Korea Times photo by Woo Tae-kyung
Another draw is the “gongdeok keyring,” a product sold at the temple. Shaped like a miniature wooden Buddhist percussion instrument known as a "moktak," the keychain produces a moktak sound when its button is pressed. Its popularity stems in part from the playful sense that pressing it helps accumulate merit, a concept in Buddhism associated with virtuous deeds.
Demand has repeatedly outstripped supply, leading to frequent sellouts. On Oct. 2, a shipment of 2,000 keychains sold out in just two and a half hours, despite a limit of three per customer. On Oct. 6, many visitors were disappointed to find that the keychains had not been restocked at the temple's Buddhist goods shop.
A Bongeun Temple official acknowledged that the pursuit of financial fortune was not directly aligned with Buddhist teachings, but said it reflected the aspirations of younger generations.
“We understand that this reflects how strongly young people today wish for such things, even though seeking wealth is not really in line with Buddhist doctrine,” the official said. “We're glad if young visitors can find comfort by coming to the temple.”
The official added that the temple hoped to use products such as the gongdeok keyring to introduce Buddhist culture to a wider audience.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.
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