“We can not change the past but we can the future” says Lee Ji-yoon, CEO of Ji Yoon Naming Center. “If the Four Pillars of Destiny (time, date, month and the year of one’s birth) is set the moment we are born, we can surely change our name. The former is like our body and the latter is like our clothes.In other words, two people with the same Four Pillars of Destiny can see a different result on how they are called in name” explains Lee. Below is the Q&A with her.

Q. What made you as a naming specialist?

A. I was influenced by my father in law and I studied ancient theories like the Four Pillars of Destiny, yeokhak, naming and geomancy. But it was late 1970 that I poured my full effort in researching Eastern philosophy. I made my own version of ‘human use manual’which was backed up by effective naming for the benefit of people who are in difficulty of life whether it is business, wedding or others.

Q. What do you think is most important when naming?

A. I analyze the face and physiognomy first and then give an ideal name. It is like deciding design, color and fabric first and then making the clothes. More specifically, I use the Five Elements (ohaeng: metal, wood, water, fire and earth) in relation with the sound it produces with reference tojawonohaeng, number ohaeng, samwonohaeng, balance of Korean alphabet sound and overall meaning to make the most appropriate name. This requires concentration and time so I only make limited numbers of name a day.

Q. Who are your clients?

A. All walks of life. I have named a number of renowned persons and their grandchildren. Also included are doctors, professors and singers and entertainment firms. I feel really rewarded when they say thank you because things seem to be running smoothly after changing the name.

Q. A special case to talk about?

A. A very thin boy suffered from constant accidents and wounds. I analyzed the name and found it had a lot of fire; the name was like pouring oil on the fire and that’s why he was so thin and vulnerable to accidents. I changed his name and he graduated a prestigious university overseas and is now working at a global software firm. Another case is a Seoul National University graduate. He worked as a prosecutor and later lawyer. He suffered from family and woman problems and went to near suicide when visited me. So I gave him one year life coaching and I recently heard from him that he is living a happy life as a lawyer.

Q. Lastly, what is your future plan?

A. I built my own naming method through lectures and coaching in 47 countries. So I’m working on developing this method into a scientificlife coaching method. In other words, I might lead my naming profession in the name of ‘life coach’.