K-Pop is the land of unique everything: songs, clothes, choreography, and let’s not forget—names. Some group names are so strange, people still remember them even years after debut.
In fact, K-Pop names are arguably getting even more questionable. Here are just some group names that netizens thought were weird… until they grew to love or accept them.
1. (G)I-DLE
CUBE Entertainment‘s newest girl group confused netizens with the stylizing of their name the moment it was revealed. Many wondered if it was pronounced “gih-dul” or “gee-ih-dul”. Apparently neither, as they go by the name (여자)아이들 in Korean which stands for (Girl)-Idol in English.
The actual way to pronounce (G)I-DLE is by dropping the “G” and is saying “Idle” as in idol. The members, fortunately, have taken the questions in stride, patiently explaining their name for viewers time and time again.
2. fromis_9
Girl group fromis_9 was formed as a result of Mnet‘s survival show Idol School. Fans, sadly, weren’t loving the number in the name, thinking it unnecessary.
They enjoyed the meaning behind fromis_9 a bit more, as it stands for “From Idol School” and “Promise”, with the “9” representing all members.
3. AB6IX
Besides being a five-member group but having the number “6” in their name, no one really knew how to pronounce AB6IX when the name was just revealed.
Luckily for potential fans, Daehwi was able to explain in a short video that it is pronounced as “A B Sik-su”.
4. IZ*ONE
IZ*ONE is another relatively confusing name to say aloud. Many fans called them “eye-zone” in the beginning and misplaced the asterisk in their spelling.
In reality, IZ*ONE is pronounced as “Eyez-ONE” in English, “Ah-ee-jeu-wahn” in Korean (아이즈완), and “Aizuwan” (アイズワン) in Japanese.
5. D1CE
The group of Woo Jinyoung from Produce 101 Season 2 and Mixnine debuted earlier this year. Like AB6IX’s situation, the number in D1CE promptly made netizens scratch their heads in confusion. The meaning behind their name was also not easy to guess.
D1CE really stands for “DICE + The Once, Leader” and is pronounced as “D Once”. The group name means to become the first and foremost player in the music industry.
6. HINAPIA
The latest “What was their company thinking?” group name was HINAPIA. a group made up of four former PRISTIN members. The name itself just didn’t resonate well with fans, with many thinking it lacked a distinct K-Pop vibe or idol feel.
Standing for the interesting words “Hi New Amazing Utopia”, everything about it made people sit up and take notice.
7. Weki Meki
Weki Meki is an almost alien-like name because the two words are so similar in sound and looks. Koreans particularly had a hard time remembering and saying it.
What is this group lol
Wikipedia? Namuwiki? Are you a dictionary group?— Korean Netizens
