{
  "id": 9291284,
  "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",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-23T07:12:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "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": "On a sunny Saturday, the Korea Culture Training Institute in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province, became the backdrop for a unique matchmaking program titled \"I'm Solo at the Temple\". This event, organized by the Social Welfare Foundation of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, drew inspiration from the popular K-pop dating reality show \"I Am Solo\".\n\nParticipants, all solo individuals, arrived at the venue under a clear autumn sky, ready to embark on a new journey. The program, designed for 20 selected participants from an initial pool of 513 applicants, aimed to foster connections and romance in an unconventional setting.\n\nThe day commenced with a twist - blindfolded walks. Here, men and women took turns guiding each other. The women, wearing black blindfolds, were guided by their male counterparts, who led them through the trail. After reaching the halfway point, they switched roles - the men donned the blindfolds, while the women took the helm. The act of guiding each other in this manner seemed to foster a sense of trust and companionship.\n\nAs they walked, some participants reported feeling the blossoming of affection. A 32-year-old participant, who preferred to remain anonymous, remarked, \"It was nice to walk while relying on the other person. It feels like affection blossomed through small moments of physical contact.\"\n\nThe foundation had meticulously planned a series of activities to encourage interaction and build connections among the participants. While the blindfolded walk was the first activity, there were more engaging tasks lined up for the day.",
  "summary": "Participants gathered at the Korea Culture Training Institute in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province, on Saturday for the latest edition of \"I'm Solo at the Temple,\" a matchmaking program for singles organized by the Social Welfare Foundation of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism inspired by Korea's hit dating reality series \"I Am Solo.\" Under a clear autumn sky, men and women paired off for a…",
  "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",
        "published": "2026-09-23T06:52:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}