Controversial Korean ‘Monk’ DJ Sees Remaining Performances In M'sia Cancelled After Heavy Criticism From Religious Figures

A South Korean DJ, known for dressing up as a monk, is facing blowback after performing an EDM set at the Gemu Club in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on May 3.

DJ NewJeansNim aka Yoon Seong Ho took to the decks in perform his rap song ‘Buddha Hands Up’ and getting clubbers into a frenzy.

Naturally, the image of a Buddhist monk fist-pumping to EDM raised some eyebrows, and soon after, conservative religious figures angrily jumped in, criticising his  performance.

According to reports, DJ NewJeansNim is not an actual monk.

Venerable Jue Cheng, the chief abbess of Fo Guang Shan in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand, slammed DJ NewJeansNim’s set, saying it was not only an insult to Buddhism, but ignored the religious sensitivity of Malaysia.

The Malaysian Buddhist Youth Association echoed her sentiments calling the performance disrespectful and ‘hurts’ the faith of Buddhists.

“Such an arrangement will not only affect the solemnity of Buddhism but may also confuse the public about the true meaning of Buddhist rituals, such as chanting sutras and holding palms together,” said the association in a statement.

Wee Ka Siong, the president of the Malaysian Chinese Association, also condemned the DJ, saying he was giving the wrong perception of Buddhist values and teachings.

He has since called on the country’s Ministry of Home Affairs to ban the DJ from performing in entertainment venues in Malaysia again.

The DJ first got his start as a comedian in South Korea before adopting his dance-music alter ego last year. He is named after K-pop group NewJeans and ‘sunmin’ – a Korean title for Buddhist monks or nuns.

“I am starting to feel that young people are changing their views on Buddhism,” said the DJ in an interview.

“Whoever calls me, or wherever, I will go and perform to make it easier for people to accept Buddhism through my EDM performance,” he added.

On April 30, Venerable Jinwoo, who heads the Jogye Order, the largest sect of Korean Buddhism with more than 10 million followers, even gifted the DJ with prayer beads and a headset, asking him to keep spreading hope and happiness in young people.

For some reason, DJ NewJeansNim reminds us a little of the eccentric Buddhist figure, Jigong, who obviously did not follow traditional codes of Buddhism.

It seems the religious pushback got too much for the venue despite the wishes of partygoers for the show to continue and the cancellation of DJ NewJeansNim’s May 21 show, which falls on the eve of Vesak Day, has been announced on social media.

“After careful consideration, and in the interest of social harmony, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the show. The decision was made with the well-being and interest of our patron and communities in mind,” read the statement.

Another club in Meleka also announced the cancellation of DJ NewJeansNim’s May 31 show citing “reasons that are beyond our control”.

Since the announcement, some netizens have taken issue with the DJ’s shows being cancelled and took to the comments to air their displeasure.

“Why are they suppressing my ‘rave’ religion,” wrote an online user.

“Poor Malaysia, always being dragged back by the ‘holier than thou’,” commented another.

Some netizens also pointed out that Malaysian lawmakers are picking on the popular DJ. The performance of a Japanese monk, who infused Buddhist chants in rock music, was held without opposition in Kuala Lumpur last October.

DJ NewJeansNim is still slated to perform in Hong Kong later this week and in Taiwan in July.