Hajoon

HaJoon is a romanization variant of a Korean given name that is commonly written as Ha-joon or Ha-jun. In Korean naming conventions, Ha is a surname (하) and Joon is the second syllable of the given name, though in Western contexts Ha-Joon may appear as a standalone given name or as part of a two-syllable given name. The meaning of Joon depends on the hanja chosen by the parents, with possible readings related to brightness, talent, or merit; since hanja can vary, the exact meaning is not fixed by spelling alone.

Notable people with the exact spelling HaJoon are rare. A widely known individual with a closely related spelling is Ha-Joon Chang (born 1963), a South Korean economist and professor at the University of Cambridge. He is recognized for his work in development economics and for popular books such as Kicking Away the Ladder and 23 Things They Don’t Tell You About Capitalism. Chang argues that historically rich nations restricted development in poorer countries and advocates policy approaches that emphasize evidence and gradual modernization.

In broader usage, variations of the spelling—such as Ha-Joon or Ha Joon—are more common in written forms that reflect Korean pronunciation for non-Korean readers. The name remains primarily associated with Korean heritage and is encountered in international contexts where romanized Korean names are used.