Historical roots of BTS' 'ARIRANG': Hulbert’s transcription 130 years ago
With a successful comeback performance at the historically iconic Gwanghwamun Square in March following the completion of their military service, Korea’s proud cultural ambassadors, the members of BTS, are embarking on a global tour across major cities around the world. Everyone hopes their music will captivate audiences worldwide while further promoting Korea’s rich cultural heritage.
Their performance was anchored on "Arirang," a traditional folk song imbued with the soul of the Korean people. In fact, "Arirang" had long been transmitted orally without a fixed musical notation. It was Homer B. Hulbert, an American educator and missionary, who first transcribed the melody into Western musical notation and recorded its lyrics. Through his 1896 article, “Korean Vocal Music,” he introduced "Arirang" to the world, making a decisive contribution to its popularization and globalization. Without his efforts 130 years ago, "Arirang’s" rise to its present stature might well have taken considerably longer.
Hulbert’s contributions were not limited to "Arirang." In the same work, he transcribed and analyzed various traditional pieces, including “Gunbam Taryeong” and “Cheongsan-a,” thereby providing a scholarly foundation for Korean music. His work effectively marked a turning point in Korea’s musical history — from an era without written notation to one with it — opening the horizon for Western-style musical transcription on this land.
Equally remarkable is his evaluation of Korean music. At a time when some Westerners disparaged Korean songs as resembling the sounds of insects, Hulbert firmly rejected such views. He urged that Korean music should not be judged before being heard with a Korean ear. He argued that criticizing Korean songs for lacking strict rhythm was akin to faulting Shakespeare’s poetry for lacking meter. At the same time, he maintained that Korean music does indeed possess its own intrinsic sense of rhythm.
He further praised the musicality of the Korean people, stating that “even a skylark could not sing as beautifully as Koreans.” He likened those who sing "Arirang" to poets such as George Gordon Byron and William Wordsworth, emphasizing their lyrical sensitivity and improvisational brilliance.
Hulbert regarded "Arirang" as the pinnacle of Korean song, saying it was as “essential to Koreans as rice,” and predicted that it would become the eternal song of the Korean people. Today, the global stature of "Arirang" testifies to the accuracy of his insight.
Notably, Hulbert’s status as the first to transcribe "Arirang" has even been acknowledged in North Korea. At an international conference on Korean studies held in Shenyang in 2018, a researcher from the North Korean Academy of Social Sciences identified Hulbert’s notation, published in 1896, as the earliest known transcription of "Arirang." This recognition underscores that his contributions transcend ideological boundaries.
This year marks the 140th anniversary of Hulbert’s arrival in Korea, as well as the 130th anniversary of his transcription of "Arirang." A recipient of Korea’s Order of Merit for National Foundation and the Order of Merit for Culture and Art-Gold, Hulbert is being commemorated through various initiatives honoring his legacy, including an exhibition of his "Arirang" transcription at a hanok village near Gwanghwamun.
We are thus compelled to ask: Where do the roots of BTS’ “ARIRANG,” resonating across the global stage, truly lie? At its origin stands the record and devotion of one man who, 130 years ago, preserved the sound of a nation for the world.
Kim Dong-jin (hulbert0126@naver.com) is chairman the Hulbert Memorial Society in Seoul.