Freedom As A Mother Or A Set Up For Failure — One White Mother’s Dream To Name Her Baby “Jungkook”

A Reddit post gained attention as it sparked a debate related to BTS‘s Jungkook. The post was written in a forum meant to discuss names and naming children. One Redditor shared their dilemma — their close friend was going to have a baby soon and wanted to name the baby after her BTS bias, Jungkook. The problem is that the mother-to-be is white, as is her partner. The name Jungkook is not commonly seen in any part of the world apart from Korea itself, due to it being a traditionally Korean name.

As many parents name their children after famous celebrities, this mother-to-be did not think that the name “Jungkook” would be an issue. After all, BTS is famous worldwide! Even so, many other Redditors felt that the mother was not thinking maturely enough. The name would also be hard to pronounce, even for the mother-to-be.

Others suggested that she could adopt a more English-sounding name if she really wanted to go with a Korean or East Asian name. This would help the baby blend in with others in the country, as well as solve pronunciation issues. Other “inspired” names could include Sara, Sera, or Lia! Such names have roots in both Korean and English.

Others worried that Jungkook’s name might invite mockery from other children who are not aware of the language. They suggested she adopt it as a middle name if she was adamant about it, or use a spin-off such as “JK.”

Even “Jin” or “August,” also inspired by the other BTS members, would sound more at home in the Western world compared to “Jungkook.” If push comes to shove, she could always name him “Justin!” Justin is an English name that Jungkook chose for himself once in an interview. The father in the relationship seemed to be somewhat in agreement, and has suggested an alternative of calling the baby “J” if the mother went through with her idea. The account in question has since been suspended, meaning that we will never know the final result.