Parc Jae Jung has decided to drop the name of his official fan club, 'Namu' ('Tree'), following objections from some Park Hyo Shin fans — but the controversy has since shifted online, with parts of his fandom facing criticism instead.
Parc Jae Jung's agency, Romantic Factory, announced on June 20 that it would reconsider the name of his first official fan club after confirming that fans of Park Hyo Shin's official fan club, 'Soul Tree', had long used 'Namu' as a nickname referring to Park Hyo Shin himself. Parc Jae Jung had unveiled the fan club name 'Namu' on June 19, inspired by his own nickname 'Namu Prince' ('Tree Prince'), as he launched his first official fan club in his 13-year career. However, after some fans of Park Hyo Shin objected, calling 'Namu' a meaningful nickname they had used for years, Parc Jae Jung's side decided to reconsider the name.
Online reaction, however, took an unexpected turn. Some internet users criticized parts of Park Hyo Shin's fandom for what they called an excessive claim of ownership over a common noun. Critics also pointed out that Park Hyo Shin himself is often referred to by fans as 'Daejangnamu' ("Captain Tree") and 'Daejang' — a term that has long been associated with singer Seo Taiji in Korea's music scene.
Online users reacted with comments such as, "By that logic, doesn't 'Daejang' belong to Seo Taiji?," "Why is it fine to use 'Daejang' but not 'Namu'?," "Seems like an overreaction to an ordinary word," "It's too much to stop a junior artist from using a fan club name like this," and "That's the definition of double standards." Others wrote, "They already have an official fan club name, Soul Tree — trying to monopolize the nickname too is excessive," "Park Jae Jung ended up the only one hurt by this," and "Fandom culture seems to be becoming increasingly closed off, and it's tiring to watch."
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