South Korea introduced its first humanoid robot monk, Gabi, during a Buddhist ceremony held at Jogyesa Temple in Seoul on May 6, 2026. The robot was presented by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism ahead of Buddha’s Birthday celebrations later this month.
Gabi is a humanoid robot designed with a human-like structure, including a head, torso, arms, and legs. Standing 130 centimetres tall, the robot appeared at the ceremony dressed in traditional grey-and-brown Buddhist robes.
During the precept ceremony, Gabi bowed before senior monks, pledged devotion to Buddhism, and received the Dharma name “Gabi.” The name combines Siddhartha, the birth name of Buddha, and “jabi,” the Korean word for mercy.
The Jogye Order also introduced 5 modified Buddhist precepts specifically for the robot. These included respecting life, avoiding damage to robots or objects, obeying humans, refraining from deceptive speech, and conserving energy by not overcharging.
As part of the ceremony, Gabi received a 108-bead rosary and a Lotus Lantern Festival sticker attached to its arm. The traditional yeonbi practice, which usually involves incense burns, was replaced during the event.
The Lotus Lantern Festival is one of South Korea’s major Buddhist celebrations and is closely linked with Buddha’s Birthday, observed on the eighth day of the fourth month in the lunar calendar across many East Asian Buddhist traditions.
Gabi was developed using the Unitree G1 humanoid robot platform created by Chinese robotics company Unitree Robotics. The robot is expected to participate in upcoming lantern parades alongside other Buddhist robots named Seokja, Mohee, and Nisa.
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