Kim Jong-min's Baby Son Gets Nickname "Jjing-i," a Blend of Beijing and a Calf From a Dream

The unborn son of singer and TV personality Kim Jong-min already has a nickname: Jjing-i, which combines the Chinese capital Beijing with the word for calf, after a dream Kim had during a trip to China. Kim announced that he is going to be a father.

Kim married a woman 11 years his junior in April last year. Now, with news of his wife's pregnancy delivered in his own words, he says he is overwhelmed at becoming an expectant father. "I'm going to be a dad?" he said, marveling at the news.

A playful chat turns into an announcement

Kim shared the news with his fellow cast members on KBS 2TV's variety show "2 Days and 1 Night," in an episode that aired on the 18th, while the group was traveling to Seosan in South Chungcheong Province. It began as the usual banter. Moon Se-yoon asked Kim whether he had avoided the penalty of being sent home late lately, and Kim laughed and replied, "Recently Ki-taek has been covering for me."

Moon Se-yoon pressed on: "Then you must have been getting home early. Any good news?" Kim looked briefly flustered, and Lee Yong-jin chimed in with the same question. After repeated prodding from the cast, Kim finally said, "We're having a baby," a surprise that heated up the mood on set.

A boy, 16 weeks along

Kim said his wife is 16 weeks pregnant and has entered the stable stage of pregnancy. The cast then guessed the baby's sex. DinDin and Lee Joon predicted a boy, while Lee Ki-taek, Moon Se-yoon and Lee Yong-jin guessed a girl. The answer was a boy. When Kim confirmed it, DinDin got a laugh by saying, "If he looks like Jong-min, he'll be really cute."

Kim also described how he first learned of the pregnancy: through a pregnancy test during a trip to China. Receiving such happy, unexpected news abroad is likely to remain a special memory. A dream added to the anticipation. Kim said he dreamed of feeding milk to a calf, and the baby's nickname, Jjing-i, merges Beijing with the calf. The name carries both the memory of confirming the pregnancy on the trip and the dream, and it also reflects the excitement of an expectant father awaiting a new family member.

"A reliable friend"

Kim's heartfelt reaction stood out most. Unable to hide his emotion, he said, "I'm going to be a dad?" and of the child, "It feels like I've gained a reliable friend." The remark suggests more than the joy of having a child: he is welcoming someone with whom he will grow and share life.

Having followed his marriage with news of a pregnancy, Kim is opening a new chapter in his life. Viewers who know him for his cheerful banter on television are likely to send congratulations and support now that he is to become a father. Attention is on what family story Kim and his wife will write as they wait for Jjing-i.

Read the original (Korean)