You might wish that your name was cool just like your favorite celebrity, and might think that only your name is boring or repetitive. However, as it turns out just like us, even some of the celebrities were not born with the cool and stylish name that they are known by now. Celebrities changing adopting a stage name or changing their name has been going around in the entertainment industry for a long time, the Korean entertainment industry is not a stranger in this case. Many Korean stars were born with a different name and are known by a different name.
1. D.O
As anybody would have guessed, D.O who is popular as an actor and a member of EXO too is known by his stage name, D.O. The EXO member was born with the birth name Doh Kyung-soo, and his stage name has been created from his real name.
2. IU
Another idol-actor in this list, IU is a familiar face in both the K-pop scene and the Acting scene. In recent years, she has proved her acting abilities in dramas such as My Mister, etc. However, she was not born with the name IU, her real name is Lee Ji-eun. The literal meaning of her stage name, IU is I and You.
3. Joy
Joy is a member of the K-pop group, Red Velvet, and an actor. Though her stage name seems tailor-made name for her, it justifies her personality and the way she spreads Joy everywhere, though she was not born with the name Joy. Her real name is Park Soo-young.
4. Hyun Bin
Even many die-hard fans would not know that Hyun Bin was not born with this name. Hyun Bin's real name is Kim Tae-pyung. The actir changed his name to Hyun Bin, as his real name is difficult to memorize. We can conclude that he took the right decision by changing his name as "Hyun Bin" suits him perfectly.
5. Onew
Onew is known for his warm vocals, he is the leader of the K-pop group, SHINee a,and also an actor. The K-drama fans would recognize the idol-actor instantly as he has starred in the globally popular K-drama Descendants of the Sun. The powerful singer adopted the stage name Onew, while his real name is Lee Jin-ki.
6. Gong Yoo
As shocking as it might sound, the popular South Korean actor whom we know by the name Gong Yoo, had adopted this stage name for himself for his career in the entertainment industry. The real name of Gong Yoo is Gong Ji Chul. His stage name is made of the surnames of both his parents.
7. Jun Ji-Hyun
At this point, even we were shocked to discover that Jun Ji-hyun is not the birth name of South Korean beauty. Jun Ji-hyun was born with the name Wang Ji-hyun. Apart from adopting the name Jun Ji-hyun, she is also known by the English name Gianna Jun.
8. Yoo Ah-In
The South Korean actor, Yoo Ah-in probably has the most drastic difference between his real name and his stage name. The actor was born with the name Uhm Hong-sik, which he still uses as his username on Instagram. He adopted the stage name Yoo Ah-in when he started his career in the entertainment industry.
9. Park Seo-Joon
In recent years, Park Seo-joon has emerged as a huge South Korean star with widespread popularity across the globe. Looks like we didn't know that this Korean star too had his name changed, and was not always called Park Seo-joon. He was born with the name, Park Yong-kyu.
10. Kim Woo-Bin
Kim Woo-bin is another actor who adopted a stage name upon debuting in the entertainment industry. His real name is Kim Hyun-joong, surprisingly there is another popular South Korean actor with the name Kim Hyun-joong. Probably this is the reason for changing his name to Kim Woo-bin.
