{
  "id": 9288396,
  "title": "Blindfolded walks, K-pop dances and romance: Inside Korea's Buddhist matchmaking program",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/blindfolded-walks-k-pop-dances-and-romance-inside-koreas-buddhist",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-23T06:52:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/lifestyle/people-events/20260923/blindfolded-walks-k-pop-dances-and-romance-inside-koreas-buddhist-matchmaking-program"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "The Korea Times reports on a unique Buddhist matchmaking program in South Korea, titled \"I'm Solo at the Temple,\" which was held at the Korea Culture Training Institute in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province. Inspired by the popular dating reality show \"I Am Solo,\" the Social Welfare Foundation of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism organized this event for single participants. The program featured blindfolded walks, where men and women paired off, with one person guiding the other. This activity allowed participants to rely on each other physically, fostering a sense of connection and affection. The foundation selected 20 out of 513 applicants to participate in the day-long event, engaging in various activities designed to facilitate interaction and potential romantic matches.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Blindfolded walks, K-pop dances and romance: Inside Korea's Buddhist matchmaking program",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/blindfolded-walks-k-pop-dances-and-romance-inside-koreas-buddhist-9291284",
        "published": "2026-09-23T07:12:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}