Lippert baby’s Korean middle name revealed
The U.S. Embassy in Seoul announced on Thursday that Ambassador Mark Lippert has named his newborn son James William Sejun Lippert.Lippert and his wife, Robyn, welcomed the birth of their baby at 3:52 p.m. on Monday at Yonsei Severance Hospital in Seodaemun District, northwestern Seoul.
Sejun is a Korean middle name that was reportedly decided by a saju fortune teller.
Saju, or the four pillars of destiny, refers to the four components that are said to create a person’s fate. Fortune telling is commonly practiced in Korea to name newborns, set wedding dates or choose a spouse, among other affairs.
In Chinese characters, “se” of Sejun means “to be clean,” and “jun” refers to “great talent and insight.” Together, the name roughly means to be honest, insightful and talented.
The U.S. Embassy explained through its Facebook page that the baby’s first name, James William, is in honor of Lippert’s father and his wife’s grandfather.
“Call him ‘JW’ or ‘Sejun!’” the post read.
BY LEE SUNG-EUN [selee@joongang.co.kr]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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