A DJ is lighting up nightclubs and monasteries.
In recent weeks, DJ NewJeansNim, dressed as a monk, with a shaved head and grey robes, has gone viral for producing EDM with Buddhist messages.
“Raise your hands,” he said in a video of a DJ performance in Taiwan last month, clasping his hands together in prayer as he danced to the beat. “If you overcome suffering, you will live in heaven,” he shouted over music in Seoul.
Yoon Seong-ho, a South Korean who entered the entertainment industry as a comedian, emerged about a year ago as a dance music monk — a name taken from a portmanteau of the popular K-pop girl group NewJeans and “sunim,” the Korean term for Buddhist monks or nuns, according to his social media profiles.
While some praised the 47-year-old DJ’s bass-heavy performances as an innovative way to connect the religion with young people, others saw him as mocking Buddhism.
Buddhism has a long history in South Korea, but has been declining in recent years: 22% of South Koreans considered themselves Buddhist in 2015, according to Gallup polls, but by 2021 that number had fallen to 17%.
Buddhist organizations, which are known to skew older, have been trying to connect with younger people by updating the image of monks, who are often known for pragmatic asceticism. Buddhist leaders have seized the opportunity to present a more attractive side.
Last year, a young monk known as the “Flower Monk” became a social media sensation, with a large Instagram following and sold-out temple tours for his good looks.
As for NewJeansNim, who is not actually ordained, the head of the Jogye Order, South Korea’s largest Buddhist sect, told him during a meeting last month: “I thank you for your work in spreading a younger Buddhism to the younger generation,” and he also gave the DJ rosary and headphones.
Yoon also seemed happy to be part of the transformation of South Korean Buddhism. On Sunday, on the occasion of Buddha’s Birthday, he participated in a lantern ceremony in front of Jogyesa Temple in Seoul.
But not all Buddhist groups welcome Yin’s innovation, with some seeing his performance as an insult to the religion. The DJ sparked widespread criticism in Malaysia after performing at a nightclub in Kuala Lumpur on May 3.
The Malaysian Buddhist Youth Association slammed his appearance as “inappropriate”. The association said in a statement that the dance hall, which served alcohol and hosted wild parties, may contain elements that violate Buddhist teachings. “Such an arrangement not only affects the solemnity of Buddhism, but may also mislead the public about the true meaning of Buddhist rituals such as chanting and clasping hands.”
NewJeansNim even provoked a response from Malaysian lawmakers. Wee Ka Siong, president of the Malaysian Chinese Association, said in a statement last week that Yin Yongzhe’s behavior of “disguising” himself as a monk “creates misunderstandings about the values and teachings of Buddhism.”
Wee Ka Siong also called on the authorities to ban Yin Yongzhe from entering Malaysia again “to respect the sanctity of Buddhism and maintain religious harmony in Malaysia.”
The outcry sparked by Yin Xiuying’s performance reflects the sensitivity of this multicultural Southeast Asian country. Religious topics are treated with extreme caution in the country, and Islamic conservatism dominates the country’s entertainment scene. (However, a Japanese monk who performed a concert in Kuala Lumpur last October, incorporating Buddhist chants into rock music, faced no opposition.)
Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail told reporters on Sunday that authorities had ordered a halt to Yoon’s activities in Malaysia. Yoon was scheduled to perform again in Kuala Lumpur on May 21, but the Gemu club that was scheduled to host him announced last week that it was canceling his performance for the sake of “maintaining social harmony.”
Nim is still continuing to perform for fans across Asia, with performances scheduled in Hong Kong later this week and in Taiwan in July.
“I just started to feel that young people’s views on Buddhism are changing,” he told Reuters. “Whoever calls me, wherever I am, I will go to perform and make people more accepting of Buddhism through my electronic dance music performances.”
