1-6-2024 (SINGAPORE) A South Korean DJ’s planned shows at a local club in Singapore have been cancelled due to his insistence on incorporating religious elements, specifically Buddhist chants and gong sounds, into his performances. The decision came after the club and the DJ, known as NewJeansNim, failed to reach an agreement on removing the contentious religious components from the upcoming events.
Club Rich Singapore owner Jackie He confirmed the cancellation, stating, “We were unable to come to an agreement and change to soundtracks without the religious lyrics.” The DJ, whose real name is Youn Sung-ho, was scheduled to perform at the club on June 19 and 20.
Mr. He assured that patrons who had already purchased tickets would receive full refunds. Additionally, the club is actively seeking a replacement performer for the cancelled shows.
The planned performances by NewJeansNim, who infuses Buddhist elements into his acts, drew criticism from the Singapore Buddhist Federation. The federation had called on authorities to reject any permits for the show, citing concerns over the DJ’s use of a monk’s robe and violation of the Vinaya, a disciplinary code for Buddhist monks.
Venerable Seck Kwang Phing, president of the Singapore Buddhist Federation, expressed appreciation for the “good and firm decision” to cancel the shows, stating, “In the future, anyone who wants to hold a show in Singapore should respect our culture and all the religions here.”
The cancellation follows statements made by Singapore’s Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, Edwin Tong, and Law and Home Affairs Minister, K. Shanmugam, who had addressed the controversy on social media. Shanmugam stated that the DJ’s practices, including using religious verses and Buddhist prayer items, “would have been offensive to our Buddhist community” and “not acceptable.”
The Singapore Police Force had previously advised Club Rich to adhere to the conditions of its public entertainment license, which stipulates that performances must not be offensive to any race, religion, ethnicity, or nationality, or potentially cause disharmony among different groups.
