The name Hong 10 comes from using a Korean language homonym and an English language pun. The second syllable of his name, Yeol, has the same pronunciation as the Korean pronunciation for the number ten. Therefore, pronouncing the phrase "Hong 10" in Korean will be the same pronunciation as his real name, Hong-Yeol. However, this nickname is always pronounced in English, so he is referred to as hong-ten regardless of the language context - whether Korean or English or otherwise. The nickname "Hong 10" is also a play on the surfer term "Hang Ten".[4]