Asian beliefs are founded on a lot of ancient practices and traditions that have to do with attracting good luck and fending off bad luck. But BLACKPINK member Lisa, and three other K-pop idols, went even further and changed their names to make sure that bad luck will not hamper their careers.
BLACKPINK's Lisa Monoban decided to change her name after a fortune teller told her that her birth name, "Pranpriya," could bring her bad luck. Pranpriya is a traditional Thailand name, where Lisa hails from, which means "breath" or "soul" (praan) and "beloved" (priya).
According to reports, Lisa legally changed her name from Pranpriya to Lalisa as a child. The latter means "one who is praised."
The decision was explained further in a social media post, outlining that "Pranpriya" had improper alphabet and vowels that didn't jive with Lisa's gender and birthday. Changing names after birth is not a surprising move in Thailand, especially if the person believes that this will help improve their life.
MONSTA X's Joohoney also changed his legal name several times before settling on Joohoney. According to fans, he was born Lee Ho Joon but changed his name in middle school to Lee Ji Hwan.
However, the K-pop star still felt it wasn't the right fit and he continued to struggle with his life until he decided on another name: Lee Joo Heon, and his English stage name is Joohoney. In 2019, the star confirmed that he will be called Joohoney for his work with his group.
In 2018, Mijoo from the K-pop group Lovelyz revealed that she had plans to change her legal name from Lee Mi Joo to Lee Seung Ah upon the request of her mother, who also sought a fortune teller's advice. Her parents changed their names as adults to improve their luck with life and thought that their daughter could benefit from this as well. However, Mijoo still retains her English stage name, which is derived from her birth name.
In an interview with SBS Power, Mijoo confirmed that she changed her name "a few years ago" because of her mom. But she also admitted that no one calls her by her legal name. To many of her friends, especially those who know her from school, she's still known a Mijoo since she changed her name in her mid-20s.
Wanna One's Yoon Jisung changed his to bring him good luck as well. Originally known as Yoon Byeong Ok, the singer confirmed that "things weren't looking up" for him with his old name. His new name means "holy wisdom."
