'Pray for wealth': Seoul Buddhist temple becomes Gen Z hot spot

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.

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.

Published Oct 17, 2026 12:00 am KST

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.

位于首尔江南区的奉恩寺已成为年轻人的热门去处。10月6日当天，寺庙里近一半的游客看起来都是二三十岁的年轻人，许多人都在祈求财富并拍照留念。社交媒体上的传闻，包括三星电子会长李在镕到访的说法，进一步巩固了奉恩寺作为招财圣地的名声。年轻的游客们也纷纷效仿网友们自创的祈财仪式，并购买了流行的“孔德”钥匙扣。

奉恩寺拥有超过1000年的历史，位于江南区的中心地带。

10 月 2 日，一批 2000 个孔德钥匙扣在两个半小时内售罄，尽管每位顾客限购三个。

年轻的游客们分享了一些非正式的祈财仪式，包括向池塘里的佛像抛硬币，以及绕着弥勒佛顺时针走三圈。

在纳尔穆尔戈特，人们排起了长队，游客们在祈祷前用泉水洗手和洗净念珠。

奉恩寺一位官员表示，追求财富不符合佛教教义，但他欢迎年轻的游客前来寺庙寻求慰藉。

发布于2026年10月17日凌晨12:00（韩国标准时间）

10月6日，游客在首尔江南区三成洞奉恩寺主殿大雄殿前参观。韩国时报 禹泰京摄

10月6日，记者探访了位于首尔江南区繁华地段的奉恩寺。正如传闻所说，这里已成为Z世代的热门去处，寺庙里挤满了年轻人。近一半的游客看起来都在二三十岁左右。他们大多是情侣或朋友结伴而来，在佛像前祈祷、拍照留念，悠闲地享受着寺庙宁静的秋日氛围。

25岁的金汝凛和朋友一起参观了这座寺庙。她说，听说这座寺庙非常受欢迎，节假日人满为患，所以她特意请了半天假，在工作日前来参观。

“我今天竟然在这里碰到了小学同学，这是我们毕业后第一次见面，”她说。“我们小学时在京畿道杨州市一起上学，那里离奉恩寺很远，所以看到这么多人来这里，我感到很惊讶。”

拥有千年历史的奉恩寺已成为年轻一代的热门旅游目的地。它位于江南区中心地带，交通便利，长期以来吸引着众多游客。但与过去以中老年佛教信徒为主的景象不同，近年来，奉恩寺的年轻游客数量显著增加。

奉恩寺最近在社交媒体上人气飙升。图片来自Instagram

“佛教核心化”潮流将佛教包装成一种时尚的生活方式，这在一定程度上促成了寺庙的走红。但寺庙如今人气飙升，很大程度上还是源于它作为许愿和祈求好运（尤其是财富）之地的美誉。

24岁的朴孝彬（音译）当时正在参拜奉恩寺，她说她听说在奉恩寺祈祷特别容易得到回应。

“我祈祷能中彩票，”她说。

三星电子执行会长李在镕参拜该寺庙的传闻进一步巩固了其作为招财圣地的名声。25岁的朴素敏和金智贤表示，她们是在观看了一段名为“连李在镕会长都参拜的寺庙”的Instagram视频后前来参拜的。

“我们不知道这个地方是否真的能带来财富和好运，但我们正在为找工作做准备，想来这里感受一些正能量，”他们说。

社交媒体用户甚至分享了如何在奉恩寺祈求财富的指南。这些并非寺庙官方发布的指南，而是年轻游客自行设计的仪式。这些建议添加了一些类似于观光行程中的活动，例如向池塘中的佛像抛硬币许愿，或者绕着高耸的弥勒佛顺时针走三圈。

在寺庙内的一处泉眼——纳尔穆尔戈特泉前，也排起了长队。游客可以在这里进行洗手和念珠的仪式。

这款名为“孔德钥匙扣”的饰品在首尔江南区奉恩寺的佛教用品店有售。它外形模仿木制佛教打击乐器，按压时会发出声音，让使用者产生一种趣味盎然的“积功德”之感。（韩国时报 禹泰京摄）

另一个吸引人的商品是寺庙出售的“孔德钥匙扣”。它的形状像一种名为“木槌”的微型木制佛教打击乐器，按下按钮就能发出木槌的声音。它的流行部分源于一种有趣的寓意：按下按钮有助于积累功德，而功德在佛教中与善行相关。

需求持续超过供应，导致频繁售罄。10月2日，一批2000个钥匙扣在短短两个半小时内就被抢购一空，尽管每人限购三个。10月6日，许多游客失望地发现寺庙的佛物店里钥匙扣已经没有补货。

奉恩寺一位官员承认，追求财富与佛教教义并不直接一致，但表示这反映了年轻一代的愿望。

“我们理解这反映出当今的年轻人对这类事物的渴望非常强烈，尽管追求财富并不符合佛教教义，”这位官员说。“如果年轻的游客能通过来寺庙获得慰藉，我们感到很高兴。”

该官员补充说，寺庙希望利用孔德钥匙扣等产品向更广泛的受众介绍佛教文化。

本文来自《韩国日报》（《韩国时报》的姊妹报），由人工智能生成系统翻译，并由《韩国时报》编辑。