Hwaeomsa's mosquito-net concert sells out in 20 seconds

Hwaeomsa says limited temple space prevents expanding capacity

Registration for the Mosquito Net Concert — a popular summer program run by Hwaeomsa, the head temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism's 19th district on Jirisan — sold out in just 20 seconds after opening.

The temple said Monday that it opened online registration through its website at 1 p.m. as announced, only for all spots to be claimed within 20 seconds.

Now in its sixth year, the concert features film music performed inside mosquito nets and will be held Aug. 8 at 7:40 p.m. on a special outdoor stage at Hwaeomwon.

The event has drawn nationwide attention as one of Gurye's signature summer evening cultural programs, alongside the temple's red plum blossom photography contest.

The venue offers seating for 200 inside mosquito-net enclosures, 100 in general seats designated as Section A, another 100 in Section B, and 50 walk-in seats in Section C — all set against the mountain breeze of Jirisan, a summer night sky and live music.

Seong Gi-hong, head of the temple's public relations and planning committee, apologized for the limited availability. "We are receiving an overwhelming number of inquiries from people who want to attend, but we cannot simply add more seats because the special stage at Hwaeomwon has a fixed capacity," he said. "The Mosquito Net Film Music Concert represents a unique seating culture symbolic of Hwaeomsa — one that cannot easily be found anywhere else in Korea."