Venerable Beomjeong is known online by his nickname “kkot seunim (flower monk)“. - KKOCHSNIM/INSTAGRAM
SEOUL (The Korea Herald/Asia News Network): A young Buddhist monk with a strong social media presence has created a sensation by selling out tickets to a temple tour programme.
A free night-time tour of Hwaeomsa was fully booked in about four hours after booking opened, according to the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. The tour accepts 22 participants on a first-come, first-served basis.
The programme includes a tea time session with Venerable Beomjeong at the temple located on Jirisan Mountain in South Jeolla Province.
Venerable Beomjeong is known online by his nickname “kkot seunim (flower monk)”.
The young monk has a following of more than 23,000 followers on Instagram – particularly among individuals in their 20s and 30s – where he shares his daily monastic life.
His Instagram bio explains the origin of his nickname: “The practitioner is a flower and should be a flower, someone who emits the deepest scent to others. Thus, I aspire to be a flower.”
The Korean word for flower, kkot, when used to describe a man, particularly a young man, carries the meaning of “pretty” or “having delicate facial features”.
The emergence of an Instagram influencer monk coincides with the religion’s efforts to reach out to younger generations via social media and various other avenues.
Hwaeomsa has been offering a range of programmes to attract young people, including a flower photo contest, yoga competitions and a film music festival.
Hwaeomsa plans to accept an additional 18 participants in the sold-out night-time tour programme. Registrations open on Thursday from 10am to 12pm local time on the official website of the Jogye Order.
