Creating your Instagram username is a great way to unleash your creativity—you can use another language that translates to your name, use a totally different (read: random) handle, or be witty and sprinkle it with puns! Korean celebrities, both K-drama actors and K-pop idols, are pros in this area and you'll realize how clever they are when you know the reasons behind their IG usernames! Here, take a look:
1. Nam Joo Hyuk
If you think Nam Joo Hyuk's IG handle is a random keyboard smash, you're wrong. @skawngur is actually the English equivalent of his name when you type it on a Korean keyboard!
2. Son Ye Jin
The Crash Landing On You actress' IG username is pretty witty! Her last name, "Son" translates to "hand" in Korean. So @yejinhand = yejinson, or Son Ye Jin. Amazing!
3. Ryu Jun Yeol
In an interview, Ryu Jun Yeol explained that @ryusdb stands for "Ryu Jun Yeol's deep breathing." You guys, this is really deep!
4. IU
Similar to Nam Joo Hyuk, IU's IG handle (@dlwlrma) is the English trans when you type it on a Korean keyboard! Her real name is Lee Ji Eun ("Eun" means silver in Korean), and in an episode of Knowing Brothers, she mentioned that her nickname is Lee Ji Geum, because "Geum" is interpreted as gold in Korean. How clever!
5. Krystal Jung
A beautiful actress and K-pop idol like Krystal Jung deserves an equally beautiful and apt IG username! She's @vousmevoyez on Instagram, which means "You can see me" in French.
6. SEVENTEEN's Seungkwan
Probably the funniest IG username in this list, SEVENTEEN's Seungkwan is @pledis_boos (his real name is Boo Seungkwan, that's what "boos" stands for) on the social media platform, and guess what: Their company's CEO Han Sung Soo is @pledis_boss! See what he did there? LOL.
7. SEVENTEEN's Vernon
Did you know that the Korean surname "Choi" is pronounced as "Chwe"? This explains SEVENTEEN's Vernon's IG handle, @chwenotchew (his Korean name is Choi Hansol)!
8. EXO' s Suho
Here's another witty IG handle: EXO's Suho, whose real name is Kim Jun Myeon, is @kimjuncotton on Instagram and if you're wondering what the word "cotton" is doing there—it's because that's the translation of his name, Myeon! Ang punny!
7.NCT's Doyoung
In the Korean language, zero translates to "young" or "gong" and you'll love Doyoung's IG username: Taah-daah...it's @do0_nct!
10. MAMAMOO's Wheein
Wheein's creative IG username, @whee_inthemood, can be interpreted in a lot of ways: She's in a good mood, or she herself issa mood (Wheein, the mood)!
12. BTOB's Yook Sung Jae
Yook Sung Jae's IG handle is pretty easy to understand and is *super* motivational: It's him telling us that we can do anything! You go, girl! @yook_can_do_it!