Buddhism in South Korea Buddhism was first adopted on the Korean peninsula by the Goguryeo in 372 CE then by the Silla in 528 CE and finally by the Baekje in 552 CE. Currently, the Jogye and Taego Orders are the most common in South Korea. South Korea has no national religion and no majority religion. Instead, South Korea considers itself free religious society. Some poles say that Korean includes people with no religious affiliation (46%), Christians (29%) and Buddhists (23%). However, such numbers change dramatically based on the organization conducting the research. One of the reasons polling religious affiliation in South Korea can be complicated is the fact that Korean society holds a somewhat unique pluralistic view of religion. Such a pluralistc view of religion means many Koreans consider themselves both Christian and Buddhist and see no issue with practicing both religions. Each year South Korea celebrates Buddha’s birthday as a major national celebration. In fact, most Korean’s take of more time for Buddha’s birthday than they do for Christmas. How many Buddhist temples are there in South Korea? There are over 900 Buddhist temples in South Korea. CNN even came out with their list of 33 of South Korea’s most beautiful temples in 2020. We think CNN’s list of temples is fantastic. however, we also feel CNN missed a few of our favorite unique temples in South Korea. We decided to offer up our more localized list of temples you need to see when living in South Korea. What cultural rules are there for visiting Buddhist temples? South of Seoul blogger, Angie, put together an amazing blog all about Korean Buddhist temple etiquette. We highly recommend reading this detailed and helpful blog as you explore the South of Seoul Korean Buddhist Temple Adventure Map listings. Why were these temples chosen for the South of Seoul Buddhist Temples Adventure Map? We made the Buddhist Temples Adventure Map by looking at what temples are often recommended in the Pyeongtaek Travelers Facebook group, which temples our volunteers enjoy the most, which temples offer the most unique experiences and the temples with strong historical value. Buddhist Temples Adventer Map We created a Buddhist Temples Adventure Map to make exploring Korea’s temples more approachable and easy to manager. Map Color Coding: The red temple names are considered three of the most important temples in South Korea. The blue temple names have ocean views or are on the ocean. The white temple names are simply lovely. Supported via the South of Seoul app: You can search “temple adventure map” in the South of Seoul listings to see each Buddhist Temple listed on the adventure map. Download the South of Seoul app to have all of this information available in the palm of your hand as well as ideas for what to do in the areas around these temples. The South of Seoul app makes all of your South Korean adventures more fun and easy. 20 Must-Visit Buddhist Temples in South Korea South of SeoulFounded in 2015, the South of Seoul team consists of volunteers on three continents working together to support English-speaking people traveling or living in South Korea. South of Seoul volunteers work with organizations and individuals across South Korea to improve equitable access to information across South Korea. Much of South of Seoul’s information focuses on Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. Blogs published under the authorship of “South of Seoul” include blogs compiled by multiple volunteers to improve access to standardized information unrelated to individualized personal experiences. www.southofseoul.net

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