Korean DJ 'monk' to exclude Buddhist elements for Singaporean show

A popular Korean DJ "monk" was told to exclude religious elements from his performance in Singapore, following backlash from local government figures and the Buddhist community.

A poster of an upcoming performance in Singapore by DJ NewJeansNim, a Korean comedian-turned-DJ who dresses as a monk with a shaved head. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

A popular Korean DJ "monk" was told to exclude religious elements from his performance in Singapore, following backlash from local government figures and the Buddhist community.

DJ NewJeansNim, the stage name of Korean comedian-turned-DJ Yoon Sung-ho, is known for performing EDM while appearing as a monk, complete with a shaved head, Buddhist robes and prayer beads. His stage name is inspired by the popular K-pop girl band NewJeans, with the addition of the word "snim", which means monk in Korean. The DJ has been lauded in Korea for helping revive Buddhism's popularity among the youth.

The DJ is scheduled to perform at a Singaporean club on June 19 and 20.

Singapore's Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam announced on Facebook Wednesday that Singaporean police would take action if DJ NewJeansNim's performance proceeds as planned, and that local club owners agreed to cooperate.

Shanmugam emphasized that NewJeansNim's use of monk's robes and Buddhist scriptures in his performances are "offensive to the Buddhist community" in Singapore and "unacceptable."

Singapore's Minister of Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong also called for the cancellation of NewJeansNim's performance.

"We have clear rules about what can or cannot be staged, at such public entertainment performances, [...] such a performance has to be licensed under Public Entertainment License conditions," Tong wrote Wednesday through a Facebook post. "We take a very serious view of acts which denigrate religion. This is an offense, and cannot be tolerated."

The Singapore Buddhist Federation also urged authorities to ban the performance, arguing that since NewJeansNim is not an ordained monk, he should not wear monk's robes on stage.

On Thursday, the nightclub announced that the show would be held as scheduled, but without any references to religion, including usage of a monk's robes, religious instruments or music related to Buddhist chants.

"There will be no religious performance during the event, but we will ensure that you will still have a fun-filled night at Club Rich Singapore," the nightclub stated on Facebook.

Back home, NewJeansNim attracted many young Korean followers and has been welcomed by the largest Korean Buddhist sect, the Jogye Order.

When NewJeansNim performed in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, earlier this month, his controversial performance drew criticism from local Buddhist groups and political figures. The Malaysian Buddhist community called for a ban on the DJ's performances, resulting in the cancellation of his scheduled show on May 21.

Like Malaysia, Singapore is a multiethnic, multireligious country with a significant Buddhist population, primarily among its Chinese community.

BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]