Arirang : Korea ’ s Most Famous Folk Song
Arirang is known throughout the world as the quintessential Korean folk song . Its exemplary status originates from its apparent role in strengthening Korean determination to resist Japanese oppression during colonial occupation ( 1905-1945 ). Arirang ’ s theme of loss resonated with Koreans as a result of their nation ’ s loss of sovereignty and Japan ’ s ultimate domination over all aspects of their lives . Arirang ’ s theme of loss also resonated with the Japanese people . While modernization created more overall wealth for Japan , economic hardship and inequality increased for the lower levels of their society . Modernization also had a ravaging impact on the traditional way of life .
Most scholars believe that the roots of Arirang may be found in folk ballads and work songs dating from the mid-to late Joseon period ( 1392-1910 ) or even long before from the Unified Silla period ( 668-935 ). Some scholars believe that it is a modern song in response to the significant challenges that Koreans faced over the past two centuries .
While Koreans used the Arirang to defy the rigid and extensive controls of the Japanese government , the song captured the imagination of some of Japan ’ s most famous composers and pop singers who were impressed with the unforgettable beauty of Korean folk melodies . Recordings , broadcasts , and live performances in both Japanese and Korean dominated the stages and airwaves of both countries throughout the 1930s . Arirang became the most wellknown song in both Korea and Japan .
Japan carefully scrutinized the content of recordings and performances , eventually prohibiting the use of Korean in song and on stage , screen , and the airwaves . Concerned about Korean resistance that arose on phonograph records , Japan required all manufactures and importers to obtain approval for all sound recordings before they went to market along with a system of fines punishing companies , performers , and their families for not observing the law . After 1943 , if Korean folk songs were permitted at all , they were to be sung in the “ national language ,” in other words , in Japanese .
Because of the ties to Korean resistance , Arirang has become truly significant in both Koreas and throughout the Korean diaspora . The song has become one of the most famous and powerful folk songs of courageous defiance considered to be particularly Korean . Ethnic Koreans living abroad assert their identity as Koreans by using the word Arirang in their memoirs and to christen their organizations , events , businesses , and television networks .
In February , 2008 , the New York Philharmonic performed a concert in Pyongyang at the invitation of the North Koreans who opened the door to the largest delegation of Americans to visit the country since the Korean War ended . When the orchestra played the opening notes of the Arirang , tears began forming in the eyes of the somber audience . The North Koreans
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