Who Is NewJeansNim? — Meet South Korea’s Viral “Monk DJ”
In the past few weeks, netizens all over the globe have been amused by an unfamiliar scene caught on camera — a Buddhist monk rocking up the DJ booth at a concert as the crowd absolutely loses it to EDM beat drops to Buddhist verses. The “DJ Monk” in question has successfully sprouted global interest in Buddhism with this unique tactic. But who is this man in real life?
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The name behind this persona is Youn Sung Ho, but he goes by the stage name of NewJeansNim (a play on the Korean word “snim,” which means monk). Though the internet now knows him as the “EDM Monk” or the “DJ Monk,” Youn is not ordained, though he is a practicing Buddhist. He is a DJ comedian by profession.
NewJeansNim started seeing global popularity in late April when clips from his first overseas tour in Taiwan went viral. He played electronic dance music fused with Buddhist religious verses, successfully winning over the young crowd that yearns for eccentricity. NewJeansNim’s Taiwan show had to be extended because the first-day tickets got sold out!
Following his explosive popularity online, Youn had made stops in Malaysia and Hong Kong for his overseas tour. His next destinations are Macau and Singapore. But it seems like the latter one might prove challenging. Youn is scheduled to perform at a Singaporean club on June 19 and 20, the second date being added later due to excessive demand.
But a Singaporean official has raised concerns over his performance being “offensive.”
This would have been offensive to our Buddhist community. This is not acceptable.
—K. Shanmugam, Law and Home Affairs Minister of Singapore
This is, however, not the first time Young’s act has been criticized by government officials. Before his Malaysia show, the country’s lawmaker, Wee Ka Siong, sternly rebuked the Korean comedian for “angering the Buddhist community in Malaysia” and “giving a wrong perception of Buddhist values and teachings.”
Eventually, Youn’s second performance in Malaysia had to be canceled. But in Singapore, Club Rich (Youn’s concert venue) has reassured attendees that the performances will take place as planned. The stage, however, will be “nonreligious” without further explanation.
At home, NewJeansNim has enjoyed mostly favorable reception. He was afforded his Buddhist name by the Jogye Order, the largest Buddhist sect in Korea, which is thrilled to see Youn’s performances bring fresh interest in the religion among the youth.
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