Nearly 350,000 domestic and foreign visitors took part in temple stay programs last year, marking an all-time high amid growing favorable perceptions of Buddhism in Korea. The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, the country’s largest Buddhist sect, said Sunday that about 349,000 people took part in temple stay programs at 158 temples nationwide, including about 294,000 Koreans and 55,515 foreign visitors. The total marked a 5.1 percent increase from 2024, and the highest level on record. Temple stay programs began in 2002 during the World Cup co-hosted by Korea and Japan, offering a glimpse into Buddhist daily life while helping ease a lodging shortage and promote traditional culture. Launched with 33 temples and 2,558 participants — about 51 percent Koreans and 49 percent foreign visitors — the program has expanded steadily over the past two decades. Foreign participation first surpassed 50,000 in 2018, the year of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, plunged during the COVID-19 pandemic and rebounded last year above the 2018 record. From 2002 through last year, cumulative participation rea