"If You Use This Name for Your Grandchild, We'll Give You a 1 Billion Won Apartment"...A Couple Faces Conflict

"Worried About the Old-Fashioned, Teasing-Prone Name"
Sharp Division of Opinions Online

A story has been made public about a couple experiencing conflict because the parents want to choose their grandchild's name in exchange for gifting them an apartment worth over 1 billion won.

According to the office worker community 'Remember' on May 16, a post titled "Parents Forcing Us to Name Our Child for an Apartment" was recently uploaded to the site. The poster, referred to as Mr. A, who recently had a son, shared, "My wife and I already had a name in mind, so we told my parents, but an unexpected issue arose."

According to Mr. A, his parents insisted that the grandchild should be given a name they had received from a Buddhist temple. They claimed that this name would bring good fortune to both the child and the family. The parents proposed, "If you use the name from the temple, we will gift you the apartment." It was reported that the market value of the apartment exceeds 1 billion won.

Apartments in the Gangnam area of Seoul. The photo is not directly related to the content of the article. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Mr. A explained, "My parents currently use the rent from that apartment for their living expenses, so I asked if they would be all right. They said they had enough money for their needs," adding, "They also said that since the child will bring prosperity to our family, we should settle down in one place." On the other hand, he heard comments implying that if they did not use the desired name, he should not expect to receive the apartment or any inheritance in the future.

However, Mr. A said the main problem was the name itself. He stated, "I can't reveal the actual name, but it's an old-fashioned, potentially teasing name, something like 'Bang Gukbong,' and that's why I'm troubled."

Mr. A continued, "My wife said, 'This is an issue related to our child's identity. Why should we give a name that will clearly get our child teased at school?' She said she would rather live in a rented house than put our child in a position to be hurt." On the other hand, Mr. A confessed, "A name can be changed later, and at home, we can just use a nickname. Isn't getting an apartment worth over 1 billion won more important than the name?"

After the story became known, public opinion online was sharply divided. In a community poll, about half of the respondents agreed with accepting the apartment, saying, "The name can be changed later," while other users opposed, arguing, "This concerns the child's life and self-esteem."

Among netizens, some commented, "An apartment worth 1 billion won is definitely something to consider," and "The legal process for changing a name isn't that difficult." Others pointed out, "Interference that begins with a name could get worse in the future," and "A child should not be hurt because of the parents' greed."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.