Byeol Sarang's Baby Boy Was Named After Her Own Song

Korean trot singer Byeol Sarang made a joyful appearance on KBS1's beloved morning variety show Achimdang (Morning Plaza) on July 27, 2026, arriving hand-in-hand with her husband Kim Wan to share the biggest news of their married life: they are expecting a baby boy, and he already has a name that only a singer could have come up with.

Byeol Sarang, 26 weeks along at the time of filming, opened the segment with characteristic warmth. "I came on this show when I was about to get married, and again after the wedding," she said, smiling. "This time, I'm here because I'm pregnant."

The Baby Nickname Only a Singer Could Dream Up

The moment that sent fans into a frenzy was Byeol Sarang's reveal of her baby's nickname — or tae-myeong, the Korean tradition of giving an unborn child a name while still in the womb. She chose Bbogi (뽀기), lifted directly from her signature song Dodbogi (돋보기, Magnifying Glass).

"In the song, there's a part where I sing bbogi bbogi," she explained. "I wanted the name to carry the feeling of happiness and blessings rolling in — like a little ball of luck finding its way to us." The choice is classic Byeol Sarang: warm, playful, and rooted in her music.

As for the official name, her husband had that covered decades ago. Kim Wan revealed he had kept baby names in his heart for 20 years — Geon (건) for a boy, Sua (수아) for a girl. "I've been holding onto those names since I was young," he said, laughing. "When a boy found his way to us, I was grateful beyond words." Byeol Sarang added with affectionate exasperation: "Since he had it all planned out for 20 years, I really didn't have much say."

"I Didn't Even Know Food Could Taste This Good"

One of the most talked-about moments from the episode was Byeol Sarang's honest account of how dramatically pregnancy had changed her relationship with food — and with her own body.

Before her pregnancy, the singer was famously slim, her friends and fans often describing her as bbyeomalla (뼈말라, very skinny). Eating was never a priority. "I used to find chewing exhausting, so I'd just drink everything," she said. "Food didn't really interest me."

All of that changed the moment she became pregnant. "Now, everything tastes incredible. Every single dish is delicious. I finally understand what people mean when they say they love eating," she laughed. The result? A 17kg weight gain by week 26, bringing her from her usual 50kg to around 67–68kg. "I honestly didn't expect this," she admitted, clearly still a little surprised herself.

Through it all, she has kept moving. "I can't run anymore, but I go with my husband when he works out — I do weights and Pilates," she said. "Staying active has made a real difference."

As for Kim Wan's reaction to the changes in his wife's body? The internet had feelings. "She's more beautiful now than she's ever been," he said without hesitation. The audience responded exactly as one would expect. Many who watched the broadcast went straight to social media to express that Kim Wan had set an impossibly high bar for husbands everywhere.

The couple also shared that elderly women in their lives seemed to know the baby's gender before the official ultrasound. "They'd take one look at my belly and say, 'That's definitely a boy. A little prince,'" Byeol Sarang recalled, grinning. Kim Wan admitted he had been hoping for a daughter — even a friend had dreamed of a fair-skinned baby girl — but said the moment he heard his son's heartbeat on the ultrasound, he was overwhelmed in a way words couldn't capture.

A First Love Story Fifteen Years in the Making

For those new to Byeol Sarang and Kim Wan as a couple, the backstory of how they ended up together is the kind of narrative that Korean dramas are written around.

The two first crossed paths in their younger years, growing up in different cities but repeatedly running into each other through what felt like fate. Their most memorable near-miss came at a bus terminal in Cheonan, where Kim Wan spotted Byeol Sarang holding up clothes at a small shop. "My heart just dropped," he said. "I was so nervous I walked over and said, 'That looks really nice on you.' She was so shocked she nearly collapsed." They were both in relationships at the time, and so the moment passed — but not without leaving a mark.

A later encounter at a club in Daejeon became the turning point. Kim Wan noticed a young woman dancing under a hat. He lifted the brim — and there she was. "We couldn't believe it," he said. From that night, the story finally moved in one direction.

After more than fifteen years of chance meetings, missed timing, and slow-burning feelings, the two made it official and married in September 2025. Their first child is now due to arrive in the weeks ahead.

From Miss Trot 2 to Motherhood: A Journey Through Darkness and Back

Byeol Sarang's path to this moment of happiness was not without its shadows. During the episode, she opened up about the period following her breakout run on TV Chosun's Miss Trot 2 (2022), where she finished sixth and earned a devoted fanbase drawn to her rich, soulful voice.

"After the show ended, I went through a really difficult time," she said quietly. Depression and insomnia set in during what should have been a period of celebration. At her lowest, she admitted to having thoughts that frightened her — a rare moment of vulnerability from a performer who tends to fill every room with energy and warmth.

It was Kim Wan who pulled her through. "When I was at my lowest after Miss Trot, he was the person who gave me the most comfort," she said. "He showed up in the way I needed, not in the way I expected." That quiet act of presence, she suggested, was what made her fall in love with him properly.

Their story, from that first adrenaline-filled encounter at the terminal in Cheonan to the baby boy now on the way, has the shape of something that was always meant to happen — just on its own unhurried schedule.

Byeol Sarang is set to perform at the 22nd Hyun-In Song Festival at Songdo Beach in Busan on August 2, 2026, where she will share the stage with veteran artists including Jo Young-nam and Park Ji-hyun. She will be just weeks away from her due date at that point, which means that particular stage may be one of her last public performances before she and Kim Wan welcome their son into the world.

Fans who watched the Achimdang episode said it was exactly the kind of morning television moment that stays with you: a couple genuinely happy, telling their story without pretense, with a baby nicknamed after a song that's been making people smile for years. The name Bbogi is just getting started.