VIDEO Japanese writes song to support Korea: 'My friend'

By Eom Da-sol

A Japanese songwriter has written a song titled “Chin-goo-yah” (“my friend” in Korean) to support Korea and welcome Korean tourists to Japan.

The song calls Koreans “friends” and expresses support for them no matter how much the world is full of hardships.

Songwriter Natsumi Yu, 60, told Yonhap news agency, “I wanted to cheer up Koreans who have been confronted by many difficulties in politics and international diplomacy.”

He defined himself as a Korean culture fan. “Even though the relationship between Korea and Japan has been strained, there still are a big number of Japanese citizens (including myself) who consider Korea as their friend,” Yu said.

Yu wrote the song in Korean and Japanese and also as an instrumental version. Korean-Japanese Kim Hyun-hee sings the Korean version and Yu’s student Minami sings the Japanese version.

The music video of “Chin-goo-yah” was released on YouTube on Apr. 28. Many people in Japan voluntarily starred in the video with placards expressing heartfelt messages.

An album with the three versions will be officially released this month. All profits will be donated to childcare homes in Korea.

“There is a Korean food counter at every supermarket in Japan,” Yu said. “Korean culture is simply a part of our daily lives.

“Korea has the power to solve domestic and international problems. Everybody hopes the nation can solve them soon.”