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제 16 호 The Grand Prize of 42nd English Essay Contest, "What’s Your Korean Name?"

  • 작성일 2022-11-30
  • 좋아요 Like 2
  • 조회수 6309
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Kicker: The Grand Prize of 42nd English Essay Contest


What’s Your Korean Name?



By Min-Hye Lim,

English Education Student



  The most Korean is the most international. This is the most impressive thing I've heard about my country recently. If someone asks, "When did you feel that the Korean Wave really became world-famous?", I will tell them this story without any hesitation. Back in the days when I was nineteen years old, I was looking for someone to text with to improve my English skills. At that time, BTS' popularity was rising internationally, so there were many foreign K-pop and K-drama fans looking for Koreans, and I, who was Korean, could easily find a girl from America to text with. I introduced my name and asked her what her name was, like a normal question to ask someone I first met. “I’m Hannah, and my Korean name is Yi Han-Na(이한나),” she answered. I asked her if she was a Korean-American, but she said no. I was shocked. At the same time, I was surprised to see myself shocked by this situation. I had never thought it strange that I, a Korean, had an English name. However, it felt odd that an American had a Korean name. I asked her if there was a special reason why she chose “Yi Han-Na” as her Korean name. “Because Hannah sounds similar to Han-na, and the last name Yi looked common in Korea,” she said. Quite interesting right? When I was learning English, I was called by my English name. It helped me to became more interested in English and immersed in English culture. If you are planning to learn Korean, how about making your very own Korean name? I will teach you how.


  Unlike the American style, Korean name is arranged in the order of a family name and a given name. Most of the time, Korean name is made of three syllables. The first syllable is a family name. The second and third syllables are a given name. So, in the name “Yi Han-Na,” “Yi” is the family name and “Han-Na” is the given name. But exceptions always exist. There are two syllable family names like “Namgung(남궁) or Jegal(제갈),” and non-two-syllable given names like “Min()” or “A-Ri-Ah(아리아).” Also, there are no spaces between Korean name when written in Hangul. In my old passport, there was a space between my Romanized given name, Min and Hye. Some of my friends thought my middle name was Hye. But remember, the middle name does not exist in Korea.


  Now, it's time to choose the letters. The easiest way is to refer to the name of your favorite Korean celebrities. It would be better for you to take their given or family names than to take their full names, just as it sounds silly when your Korean friend says their English name is Taylor Swift. Like Hannah said, “(Kim or Gim), (Lee or Yi), and (Park or Bak)” are three most common family names in Korea. Except for Korean native names and Baptismal names, most of the Korean given names are gender-specific and based on Chinese characters, which have their own meanings. Girl’s names tend to imply feminine characteristics like beauty or wisdom (such as Seo-eun, Su-Yeon, Min-ji, etc.), while boy’s names show masculine characteristics like success or firmness (Ha-jun, Min-su, Cheol-Woo, etc.). Nowadays, neutral Korean names (such as Yu-Jin, Ha-Yoon, Ji-Woo, etc.) are on-trend, so it might be difficult to assume one’s gender from their name. Another way is to find a name sounds like your own name. One of my friends, Jason, chose his Korean given name as “Ji-Sung” which sounds similar to his American given name. You can have both your uniqueness and originality.


  Other countries might be too, but Korea is a country that values names in particular. Koreans believe that a good name brings luck, and the one who has an unfit name might get bad luck. It is common for Korean parents to choose their child’s name from a fortune-teller, who suggests the luckiest name for the child. The child’s birthdate, the time of birth, and the number of strokes of the name in Chinese character are considered for choosing the name. If you tell your Korean friend that you know Korean naming culture and introduce your Korean name, it will be a great opportunity to get closer and show your interest in Korea! So, have you decided what name to use? What’s your Korean name?