The entertainment industry is incredibly competitive, and even the choice of a celebrity's name is given great thought. It is no different in the case of South Korean entertainment. There are undoubtedly several prominent A-list celebrities who got renowned and are best recognized for the stage names they use, even though most Korean stars found success without altering their real names for the profession. The top ten Korean celebrities with name changes are listed below!
1. Gong Yoo
Gong Yoo, born Gong Ji-Cheol, is a famous Korean actor who starred in "Guardian: The Lonely and Great God". He adopted the screen name "Gong Yoo" to advance his professional career in the field. He blended the last names "Gong" of his father and "Yoo" of his mother.
2. Ha Ji-Won
In real life, Ha Ji-won— regarded as one of South Korea's most lauded actresses—is Jeon Hae- rim. As a tribute to her manager's first love, the "Empress Ki," "Secret Garden," and "Hospital Ship" star chose to go by the name "Ha Ji-won.” She mentioned, "I suppose he wanted to use at least the name of his love that was not fulfilled."
3. Park Seo-Joon
Our heartthrob from "Itaewon Class" and "What's Wrong with Secretary Kim" goes by "Park Seo-Joon," but his real name is Park Yong-Gyu. The actor made the finest choice for a stage name, according to a professor of Eastern philosophy who once claimed on television because it appeared as "earth-earth-metal" in the five elements, which he regarded as a harmonious combination.
4. Rain
For acting, K-pop artist Rain goes by his real name Jung Ji-hoon. But the attractive star is more often recognized as Rain. Some individuals have described his dancing as having a particularly sorrowful charm and used the Chinese word "bei" to do so. Because the word "bei" sounds similar to the Korean word "bi," which means "rain," when translated to Korean, Rain became his nickname.
5. Kim Woo-Bin
Born Kim Hyun-Joong, the actor from "The Heirs" and "Uncontrollably Fond" chose Kim Woo-bin as his stage name when he first began his career as a runway model. He didn't like his real name being used in professional areas. Given that "Kim Hyun-Joong" is the name of another well-known star in Korea, this was a wise choice.
6. Min Hyo-Rin
Jung Eun-ran is the lovely real name of the gorgeous actress-model Min Hyo-rin. Her management decided to call her "Lee Hyorin" when she was going to make her singing debut. This was because they thought she resembled Korean superstar singer Lee Hyori. However, the actress claimed she didn't like the name and rejected it, so she proceeded with the stage name "Min Hyo-rin."
7. IU
In the current K-Pop music industry, IU is unquestionably a reputable and beloved name. The management of IU determined that Lee Ji-Eun should have a stage name since her real name, Lee Ji-Eun is a common name in South Korea. IU stands for "I" and ";You," bonded by the unifying power of music. For acting, IU uses her real name Lee Ji-Eun.’ She began to earn notice after receiving nominations for "My Mister" and "Hotel Del Luna" at the Baeksang Arts Awards.
8. Jang Hyuk
When he made his acting debut, Jang Hyuk, who rose to fame in K-Dramas like "Fated to Love You" and "Voice," also got a name change. In an episode of SBS's "Healing Camp," he disclosed, "My real name is Jung Yong Joon. The name Jang Hyuk is the name of my manager. I worked on my "Jung Yong Joon" signature every day. But one day, I overheard people calling out, "Jang Hyuk," to my manager. I chose Jang Hyuk as my stage name because I thought it sounded very cool.
9. Cha Eun-Woo
Cha Eunwoo is an actor and a member of the K-pop group ASTRO. The lead actor in "My ID is Gangnam Beauty" and "Rookie Historian Goo Hae-Ryung," accidentally adopted a stage name. Eunwoo's character's name 'Cha Eun-woo' for a web drama he appeared in 2015, using his real name 'Lee Dong-min,' became incredibly popular. Fans and viewers that they began addressing
him by that name. Since everyone around him had just grown accustomed to calling him by that name, he decided to utilize it as a stage name. Fortunately, it turned out to be advantageous for him.
10. Hyun Bin
Hyun-Bin's real name is Kim Tae-Pyung, even though you may be silently shouting "Hyun Bin" while your heart raced as you watched him mature in "Crash Landing on You." He chose Hyun Bin because his real name is more difficult to say and remember.
