Buddhist monks in South Korea are increasingly embracing a new role -- matchmaking.

“To us, monks helping singles match up isn’t all that new. We launched a templestay program for singles in early 2012. It just hadn’t made headlines like today,” an official of the Korean Buddhist Foundation for Social Welfare said Friday.

The official at the foundation, run by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, was referring to a long-running program where participants learn about traditional Buddhist routines that has recently garnered renewed attention. The reason for the attention? The largest Buddhist sect in the country is attempting to counter Korea’s biggest challenge: the world’s lowest birth rate.

The program got a significant makeover in November last year. Twenty singles -- half men, half women -- were invited to learn about each other and become couples in a seemingly bold departure from the traditional focus on identifying with Buddhist traditions, like mediation.

The foundation official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to freely disclose internal discussions concerning the change, said monks have always been serious about “connecting people,” a mission now highlighting singles.

The government has lauded the initiative. Joo Hyung-hwan, vice president of the Presidential Committee on Aging Society and Population Policy, will take part in the upcoming templestay at Naksansa, a temple in Yangyang County, Gangwon Province, Aug. 9-10.

When applications for the five-day program closed on Friday afternoon, over 1,000 singles had applied. The preliminary figure, warranting a recount later, is a record number of applications since the matchmaking program was first introduced in 2012.

At Naksansa, 20 singles, 10 women and 10 men aged between 30 and 39, will get to work, starting with a blind date officiated by monks. The monks will also engage in more spiritual activities, teaching the basics of Buddhist tradition from morning chants to prostrations to meditations. Staff will help singles match up directly, as participants inform them of their choices.

The Korean Buddhist Foundation for Social Welfare expects the templestay to attract more singles in the months to come.

“Discussion is still underway but following another matchmaking event preferably in October, there could be a reunion of all previous participants in the singles program,” the foundation official said.