The Buddha Art Fair was held ahead of the Buddha’s Birthday. This fair is aimed at the MZ generation, and through the EDM stage, it provided an opportunity for new generations, other religions, and non-religious people to enjoy the event together.......Ed
Before Buddha’s birthday, the 2024 Seoul International Buddhist Expo and the 12th Buddha
Art Fair were held at the Seoul Trade Exhibition and Convention Center from April 4th to April 7th. The Buddhist Jogye Order has been operating the Seoul International Buddhist Expo and the Buddha Art Fair to promote Buddhism and its traditional culture, and to develop related industries. This year’s slogan was "Fun Buddhism." Referring to precious slogans such as "10 years when you walked alone, 100 years when you will walk together," and "Being healthy and happy with mindfulness," you could think that this year’s theme was clearly aimed at the MZ (Millennial generation + Generation Z) generation. Approximately 300 companies participated, and there were high-technologies such as Chat GPT and AI to make the event more friendly and interesting to the young generation. Thus, Buddhists and people from other religions, as well as the non-religious, participated in the Seoul International Expo.
The biggest issue of the expo was the DJ (Disk Jockey) performance of the Monk NewJin (it means "new truth") by the comedian Seong-ho Yoon, who got the Buddhist name in November 2023 from the monk Osim of Jogyesa Temple. This Buddhist name was influenced by the Korean girl group, New Jeans, but it also contains the meaning of "moving forward in a new way." He stood on the stage with his head shaved like a monk and wore a headset. He communicated enthusiastically with the audience while he played music that was a remix version of Buddhist scriptures and EDM. Most people responded positively, especially the MZ generation, saying, "The young sensibility added to traditional Buddhism," "Buddhist party is more fun here than in real clubs," and "Buddhism became hip." However, some people who pursue traditional Buddhism and the elderly weren’t happy.
To celebrate Buddha’s birthday, the Monk Newjin participated in the events at Dongguk University, Cheonggyecheon, and Gwanghwamun Square, where the EDM stage was located. EDM music, which served a twist to the peaceful and tranquil atmosphere of Buddhism, provides an opportunity for new generations and even non-religious people to enjoy such events together.
Kang Ha-yeon (ST Sub-reporter)
khy200408@soongsil.ac.kr
