Here’s How NCT’s Taeyong Got The Nickname “Lee Tae Baek,” And What It Means

It has the cutest origin!

NCT‘s Taeyong has many nicknames, from “Tyong” (a cute way of saying Taeyong) to “Bubu” (a nickname given to him by fans). He recently revealed to fans a nickname he’s had ever since he was a little kid: Lee Tae Baek!

Taeyong from NCT. | @taeoxo_nct/Instagram

Before a video call event, Taeyong messaged fans letting them know that instead of Taeyong, his “younger brother” Tae Baek (also written as Taebaek) would be making an appearance. He even changed his nickname on the messaging app Bubble to be “Lee Tae Baek!”

Taeyong’s profile on the Lysn app has the name Lee Tae Baek and a picture of rice ball Koongya. | Lysn

He showed up looking super cute while playing his university-student role! Just look at the duality between Lee Tae Baek and NCT’s Taeyong in the background.

Later during an Instagram live, Taeyong revealed the origin of his nickname and explained that it actually comes from his father who used to refer to Taeyong as “Lee Tae Baek” due to his laziness as a kid.

I went with the name Tae Baek because my dad used to call me that. When I was young, I was super lazy and my dad would tease me about it by calling me Tae Baek. He’d go around saying, ‘Where’s my Lee Tae Baek-ie? Where’s my Lee Tae Baek-ie?‘ So I really like the name Tae Baek.

— Taeyong

The phrase “Lee Tae Baek,” also written as “Yi Tae Baek,” is an abbreviation of a Korean phrase referring to people in their twenties being unemployed. And it just so happens to make the perfect wordplay for Taeyong’s full name, Lee Tae Yong!

The word “Yi Tae Baek” is now famous for its meaning as the abbreviation of the phrase, ‘“Most of the people in their twenties are jobless good-for-nothings‘” (from the pronunciation of the word, yi meaning two, tae meaning most, and baek meaning jobless).

— Chun Gwang Am, DongA

Furthermore, there was a Korean drama called Ad Genius Lee Tae Baek released in 2013 that starred Jin Goo as the titular character. Lee Tae Baek was a talented high school graduate who worked non-stop to achieve his dream of becoming a top advertiser.

Promotional image for Ad Genius Lee Tae Baek. | KBS

Even though the nickname originates from a phrase referring to lazy young adults, it’s sweet to see that it’s become a way for Taeyong to have fun and remember his childhood. Read more about another of Taeyong’s nicknames below!

NCT’s Taeyong Finds Out What Fans Have Been Calling Him

Source: DongA, Instagram and Twitter

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