Arirang
© Susan Johnson-Roehr
Despite the economic and social problems likely to be introduced with the reunification of the Koreas (look at what happened with Germany, after all), I'm excited about the future of Korea. And it seriously seems like the governments are making some effort at bringing the two Koreas together. Sometimes I am cynical about it all, but there was a moment--many moments, actually--during the Sydney Olympics that really gave me hope. Did you watch the Opening Ceremonies? Were you as pleased as I was to see the Koreas marching under one flag? Even more touching to me, I think, was to realize that as they marched, the delegations was singing Arirang, the national Korean folk song. Arirang...what a symbol of unification. It is true that arirang has a lengthy association with political turmoil and thus already has a lot of symbolism built into it. Professor of Korean Literature Kim Shi-Op writes quite eloquently of arirang as modern folksong, a revolutionary song embraced by Koreans throughout history for its beauty (Korean Journal, July 1988). Arirang expressed the suffering of the Koreans under Japanese rule, and like the Korean flag, was a code for resistance.Can it be that arirang survives and thrives in both Koreas as a song both North and South can use to express their national emotions? Speaking truthfully, "modern" Korea doesn't rally around arirang on a daily basis--it is not as if workers go off to the office in morning singing arirang in unison. And there is also the matter of determining whose arirang must be voiced. Every region has its own representative arirang, and although there seems to be a "standard" arirang, there are also distinct variations between Cheju arirang and Taepyong arirang in the north. Still, the use of arirang in the Opening Ceremonies was a brilliant political move. Only last month in a joint concert between the KBS Philharmonic Concert of the South and the Chosun National Philharmonic Orchestra of the North, Arirang was performed as a symbol of unity and harmony. I'm not sure how they came to an agreement on the exact phrases to sing at the Olympics, unless they fell back on the textbook's standard arirang, but it was an important moment of unification. Perhaps it didn't bring the North and South delegations any closer--although they did seem closer during the athletic competitions than they have ever seemed in the past--but it was significant because it presented a unified front to theworld. Americans don't know one arirang from another, but they are able to spot hostility. It is important in this quest for unification that both sides makes their international allies believe in the process so that when things get tough--and they will get tough when the DMZ is opened--there are countries lining up to offer economic help especially. So, brush up on your arirang so you can sing them with your neighbor at your earliest convenience. Remember its place in Korea's past and think about it's place in Korea's future.
Go To Page: 1 2
The copyright of the article Arirang in Korean Culture is owned by Susan Johnson-Roehr. Permission to republish Arirang in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
