Wednesday is a public holiday in South Korea to mark Buddha’s birthday. The lead-up to the annual event includes different festivities, including a controversial DJ, who’s attracting a growing following.

Seoul

DJ New Jeans Nim, a unique figure in South Korea, performs as a DJ in a traditional Buddhist monk's outfit, garnering attention for his distinct blend of modern dance music and traditional Buddhist teachings. With a considerable following in South Korea, Yun Song Ho, the man behind DJ New Jeans Nim, has received the backing of the country's largest Buddhist order, highlighting his success and popularity within his home country.

Despite his growing popularity at home, Yun's international appearances have received mixed responses. His recent performance in Taiwan was successful, yet, during his visit to Malaysia, some Buddhists found his act disrespectful, illustrating the diverse global perspectives on his approach to spreading Buddhist teachings through contemporary music.

DJ New Jeans Nim was featured as the star performer in Seoul's annual festivities commemorating Buddha's birthday, which is a significant public holiday in South Korea celebrated with various events, including an elaborate procession of lanterns and floats. Each year, the celebration adopts a theme aimed at elevating public engagement with Buddhism, with this year's theme focusing on connecting with the youth.

This initiative comes at a time when South Korea faces notable challenges with its younger population, reported to have the highest levels of stress among developed countries. Aiming to address the trauma and hopelessness felt by many young people, the event and its attractions targeted spreading Buddhism's appeal among this demographic. Given the declining number of Buddhists in South Korea and the cultural dominance of K-pop and electronic dance music, incorporating such modern elements into Buddhist teachings is seen as an innovative approach to reinvigorating interest in Buddhism among the younger population.



DJ monk divides Buddhists in South Korea

He goes by the stage name DJ New Jeans Nim, and performing in a traditional Buddhist monk's outfit certainly gets Yun Song Ho noticed. The modern dance music he plays provides a backing for lyrics that spread traditional Buddhist teachings. With a growing following in South Korea, Yun has won the support of the largest Buddhist order here, but his reception abroad has been mixed. He's just had a successful show in Taiwan, he tells his hosts, but his subsequent visit to Malaysia was criticized by some Buddhists there for being disrespectful. Still, DJ New Jeans Nim was the star performer at the annual festivities in Seoul leading up to Buddha's birthday. It's marked by an elaborate procession and display of lanterns and floats, with a different theme each year. The focus this time was trying to connect with younger people. There have been reports that Korea has the highest levels of stress among developed countries, with young people especially suffering from trauma and feeling hopeless about the future. So young people particularly are struggling. Many of the events and attractions were aimed at spreading Buddhism's appeal, especially among the young. Once predominantly Buddhist, the number of South Korean faithful has been gradually declining over the years, with more and more Buddhist leaders now believing it's time for a makeover. And in a society so dominated by K-pop and electronic dance music, using those thumping beats in the service of Buddhism, for most people here, makes sense. Rob McBride, Al Jazeera, Seoul.

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