From lyrical folk song to cheering song: variations of 'Arirang' in Korean history

"Arirang," which was put on the UNESCO's intangible heritage list Thursday, is the most popular traditional folk song of Koreans.

The song with the refrain "Arirang, arirang, arariyo" is often dubbed a "second national anthem" or an "unofficial national anthem" of Korea because virtually all Koreans, even those living in North Korea and abroad, can sing at least part of it due to its easy melody and tune.

But little is known about the exact origin and history of the song although it has been the subject of study by many Korean scholars.

Experts say there are some 40 different theories on the origin of the song.

The leading theory dates back to the era when Heungseon Daewongun (1820-1898), father of the penultimate Joseon monarch Gojong, acted as regent while the king was still too young to rule in the 1860s.

It says the origin of "Arirang" is a song with the Chinese title "Airang," meaning "I'm leaving my lover," that tells of the sorrow of commoners from all over the country who were taken away from their wife or lover and brought to Seoul for a royal project to rebuild the Gyeongbok Palace under the rule of Heungseon Daewongun.

Some say an ancient poem written to praise the virtue of "Alyeong," wife of Silla's founding monarch Park Hyeokgeose (69 BC-4 AD) was transformed into the lyrics of "Arirang" while some others say the word "arirang" came from the Jurchen tribal language "arin," meaning "hometown" or the similar-sounding name of an Indian god.

"The fact that there are so many folk tales about the origin of 'Arirang' shows that the traditional folk song well embraces the joys and sorrows of the Korean people," said Lee Dong-bok, chief of the National Gukak Center for preserving and developing Korea's traditional music and dance.

But it was not until the late 19th century that "Arirang" became the most beloved folk song of Koreans. As the people endured a turbulent history from the Joseon era to the Japanese colonial rule over Korea (1910-1945), the song transformed from being a lyrical folk song to sometimes a song of resistance against the Japanese colonizers.

"Arirang" has many variations that can be grouped into classes based on the lyrics, when the refrain is sung, the nature of the refrain, the overall melody, and so on. Titles of different versions of the song are usually prefixed by their place of origin or some other kind of signifier.

According to experts, there are 4,000 or more "Arirang" variations of 60 sorts, including "Jeongseon Arirang," "Jindo Arirang" and "Miryang Arirang" on the Korean Peninsula.

"Jeongseon Arirang" from Gangwon Province, which experts say has the most lyrical melody and words of all variations, is known to be the original form of "Arirang." However, the most famous version is the so-called "Bonjo (Standard) Arirang" from Seoul.

This version with the refrain, "If you leave and forsake me, my own, Ere three miles you go, lame you'll have grown," is usually simply called "Arirang," and is of relatively recent origin. It was made greatly popular by its use as the theme song of Korea's influential early feature film "Arirang" (1926) directed by and starring Na Wun-gyu.

Fitting well with the movie about the tragedy of a Korean college student who became mentally ill after being tortured by Japanese police for participating in the Korean people's historic peaceful uprising against the Japanese colonial rule on March 1, 1919, the song's sorrowful melody helped enhance the people's spirit of resistance against Japan, critics say.

From the 1960s to 1980s, when Korea was under the rule of authoritarian leaders, "Arirang" was often used as a song for pro-democracy rallies. With its use as a cheering song during the 2002 World Cup co-hosted by South Korea and Japan, "Arirang" became one of the South Korean people's most favored cheering songs for international sports games.

"The lyrics and melody of traditional Korean folk songs have an open structure, so everyone can create new variations befitting their own tastes," said Kim Yeoung-wun, a traditional Korean music professor at Seoul's Hanyang University. "'Arirang,' therefore, came to have so many variations while being sung for centuries." (Yonhap)