Actor Shin Hyun-joon [Newsis]
Actor Shin Hyun-joon [Newsis]

Actor Shin Hyun-joon has shared the story behind his stunned reaction when his mother-in-law returned from a naming consultant with a candidate for his firstborn son's name.

A preview clip for Wednesday's episode of tvN's "You Quiz on the Block" was posted to the show's social media account Tuesday. In the clip, Shin appeared as a guest and recounted the naming saga with host Yoo Jae-suk.

"I wanted to give him a good name, but I just couldn't come up with one," Shin said. "Because I was so stuck, my mother-in-law went to a naming consultant and came back with 'Shin Chang-won.'"

Shin Chang-won is widely known as one of South Korea's most notorious escaped convicts. He broke out of prison in 1997 and evaded capture for more than two years before being arrested in July 1999 — an occasion that drew widespread attention partly because of the flamboyant patterned T-shirt he was wearing at the time.

Shin said he told his mother-in-law on the spot: "What are you doing? The moment I see that name, all I can think of is that T-shirt." The remark sent Yoo into fits of laughter.

Turning to the camera, Shin then pleaded, "Mother-in-law, why would you do that?" drawing another round of laughs.

Unable to use the name the consultant had provided, Shin said he went back to the drawing board, drawing on memories of his late father.

"My father passed away before the baby was born," Shin said. "He always used to call out to me, 'Hyun-joon, my son Hyun-joon' — and the character 'jun' stayed deep in my heart." His wife later suggested "Min-jun," and the couple ultimately settled on Shin Min-jun as their son's name.


choigo@heraldcorp.com