|
 |
Arirang, Another Name of Korea
Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Korea
Korean Traditional Performing Arts Foundation
Arirang is the energy for Koreans
Korea, a small country located in Northeast Asia, has a long history of cultural traditions. The country has achieved a remarkable economic growth after going through foreign invasion, wars, and forced separation of families after the Korean War. Whenever hard times hit Koreans, Arirang has stood by Koreans. Arirang has helped Koreans to convert hardship into energy for growth.
Arirang is sung by every Korean
There is a song every Korean knows although they don't remember when and where they have heard it. There is a song every Korean can sing although they have never learned it. Wherever Koreans live, the melody of Arirang, which comprehends love, spite, happiness and sadness, is sure to be heard. Wherever Arirang is heard, there are Koreans
Arirang exists in various versions
As folk songs have extended their lives as people have improvised them in various ways. Arirang, as well, has been used as media through which people express themselves in various versions. So far, about 8,000 different versions of Arirang have been known, and most of them are about resistance against social injustice or about determination to overcome difficulties. In addition, it has various melodies and forms arranged by residents in various regions, including Jindo, Milyang, and Jeongseon in Korea. They sound like different songs, but the refrain "Arirang, Arirang" found in every version indicates that they have roots in the same song.
Arirang transcends time and space
There are a number of theories about the origin of Arirang. One of the stories says that Arirang originated from the time when Hungson Taewongun, the father of the last king of the Joseon Dynasty, the last empire of Korea, was rebuilding Kyoungbok Palace in 1865, which had been destroyed by fire during the Japanese invasion. Compulsory laborers were conscripted across the country to transport lumber consoled themselves with songs and one of them, Arirang, became widely known to people after they returned home. The Korean Repository, which was published by Homer B. Hulbert, a US missionary, in 1896, carries the transcript of Arirang. The book describes Arirang as a song treasured by Koreans, who are good at improvisation, is treated like their staple food rice.
The most frequently sung Arirang is the theme song of Korea's first motion picture, "Arirang" produced in 1926. The film gained tremendous popularity by depicting the sorrow welling up within Koreans under the Japanese colonial rule. The success of a film creates social trends and has various spiritual, political and cultural ramifications. Like "Braveheart", which depicts the life of William Wallace - the great Scottish hero, Arirang established itself as a film representing Korea. At that time, the film Arirang was so popular that a music album compiling different versions of Arirang was introduced in Japan. Arirang has become a symbol of Korean people, while it has been used as a method for Koreans to express themselves and their resistance when their national identity was threatened during the Japanese colonization
Arirang is heard for united Koreans
Arirang is loved by all Koreans regardless of their ideology, culture, and the places they live. Arirang unites North and South Korea, which have confronted each other over a half a century. At the Inter-Korean Sports Talks in 1989, representatives of both countries unilaterally agreed to use Arirang as a theme song for the joint Korean team. In addition, Arirang is played and sung at every event devoted to the reunification of Korea, namely the New York Philharmonic's historic concert in North Korea's capital city Pyeongyang in 2008, or occasions where overseas Koreans gather. This indicates that Arirang is the most favored by Koreans as they think that the song embodies Korea and the sentiment of Koreans best. Besides, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of Korea conducted the Arirang Culture Code Survey in 2008 to learn about how Koreans think about Arirang. The results show that they identify the folk song with the memory of their mother country and the symbol of Korean people. In other words, Koreans believe Arirang is the strongest cultural icon and the most effective tool to express the identity of Koreans in the global community
Arirang will be sung globally
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, established the Arirang Prize in 1998 with the aim of encouraging measures for safeguarding proclaimed masterpieces of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity. The Prize is created to infuse vitality to intangible cultural assets around the world. Thanks to the Prize, unique intangible cultural heritage, including the Philippines' Hudhud Chants and Vanuatu Sand Drawings, received a renewed global attention for the necessity of their preservation. While cultural traditions are disappearing rapidly amid the wave of globalization and generalization, the Prize will enable the heritage of the
Korea's modern history is overshadowed by non-democratic practices by authorities in the process of achieving a rapid economic growth from the ashes of the Korean War and miserable memories of Japanese rule. Koreans endured the hard times, singing Arirang. As such, Arirang can give a message of courage to people in need of peace and hope around the world. There is a famous Korean saying, "When we share our sorrow, our sorrow is halved, and when we share our joy, our joy is doubled." As a country that has accomplished economic growth and democratization despite many obstacles and difficulties, now is the time for Korea to share the hope we have created with the global community.
Arirang is going global
The project for the globalization of Arirang is scheduled to be launched. In 2008, the Ministry of Culture Sports, and Tourism of Korea created the Arirang Globalization Committee composed of eleven experts in the areas of Korean studies, Korean folk songs, studies on Arirang, cultural industry, brand, and PR, and established a master plan for Arirang. Based on the Arirang Culture Code Survey, the ministry is carrying out marketing activities to improve the image of Arirang.
Currently, a project to build a global and modern image of Arirang by integrating the values that can appeal to people around the world is in progress. In detail, the creation of educational broadcasting content, the hosting of an international symposium on the globalization of Arirang, the creation of the Arirang album performed by Korean-friendly global artists, and the distribution of multi-language PR brochures are under way.
The Ministry expects the project will enhance Koreans' confidence about their traditional culture, strengthen the solidarity of overseas Koreans, and improve its national image.
[Appendix 1] A master plan for Arirang (2009 – 2016)
[Appendix 2] Analysis of Arirang Culture Code Survey
[Appendix 3] Projects in 2009
[Appendix 1] A master plan for Arirang (2009 – 2016)
1. Vision: Arirang, the pride of Korea recognized by the world
2. Objective: Establish Arirang as one of the worldwide folk songs
- To know Arirang better
- To proudly talk about Arirang
- To improve the status of traditional art
3. Key Strategies:
- Develop Arirang into an independent genre and into the main pillar of Korean traditional culture
- Connect the image of Arirang with up-to-date, famous, and fancy trend and objects
- Make Arirang to be heard everywhere
4. Projects:
- Restoration of the prototype of Arirang
- Education and promotion
- Development of killer content
- Utilization of Arirang as a cultural resource
- Establishment of global network
- Facilitation of provincial governments' Arirang projects
- Establishment of Arirang Center
[Appendix 2] Analysis of Arirang Culture Code Survey
1. Results of analysis
- Koreans' subconscious recognition of Arirang
O Shameful children: The object that symbolizes a painful history that we should embrace but do not like to reveal
O Name of a country: A synonym for Korea
O Korean’s right: Identity distinguished from China and Japan
※ Korean's recognition of Arirang is ambivalent. Their negative recognition is rooted in the fact that Arirang has represented Korea's painful history, namely Japanese colonial rule and the Korean War.
2. Distinctiveness of Arirang
|
Category |
Characteristics |
Expression |
|
Subconsciousness |
Difficult to express in language |
Feeling, Image |
|
Profoundness |
Old memory and emotional response buried deep in unconscious mind |
Memory, Experience, Impression |
|
Collectiveness |
Common to people sharing the same culture |
Collective Comparison |
3. Public recognition of Arirang (Results of an online survey)
o Symbol of Arirang: Samtaegeuk (Korean symbolic icon of sky, earth, and human) (71.2%)
o Symbol of Korea: 5th (15.4%) / Symbol of Korean culture: 2nd (73%)
o Color: White (31.1%), Red (26.6%)
o The most effective promotion activities: Performance (43.3%), Campaign (38.5%)
o Font: Korean -> Gungseouche (42.1%), English -> Arial Black (23.8%)
4. Impression and feeling about Arirang
|
Category |
Characteristics |
|
Dependence on education at home and school |
O Most of Koreans learn Arirang before the age of 10 at home or music classes at school |
|
Ambivalence |
O Arirang sounds sad, tired and gloomy O However, it also sounds dynamic and confident - It gives the opposite impression at the same time |
|
Historical association |
O Arirang is often associated with hard times during 1920~1970, particularly the Japanese colonization period |
|
Contradicting attitude |
O Although recognizing sad and negative image of Arirang, people do not want to show that attitude publicly |
[Appendix 3] Projects in 2009
1. Educational broadcasting content
- An up to date version of Arirang with emotional approach
- Five image fillers (five minutes each) in cooperation with broadcasting stations
2. 1st international symposium of the globalization project of Arirang
- Date: November 9, 2009 (To be determined)
- Theme: Strategies for globalization of Arirang
*A program proposal for the 1st international symposium of the globalization projects of Arirang
|
Category |
Subjects |
Lecturers |
|
Opening Ceremony |
Formal Welcome |
Yu, In-chon (Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism) |
|
Keynote Address |
The significance and value of Arirang that can be shared with the world |
Lee, O-ryung (Anthropologist) |
|
Session 1 |
1. The past, present and future of Arirang 2. Significance of Arirang in Korean culture 3. Distinctiveness characteristics of Arirang among world folk songs
* Discussion |
1. Kim, Ki Hyun (The scholar on Arirang) 2. Choi, Jun Sik (Korean traditional culture researcher) 3. George Winston, Inger Marie Gundersen (Pianist, Jazz singer) |
|
Session 2 |
1. Success cases of globalization of the symbol of the nations 2. Success cases of globalization of folk songs and their application to Arirang
* Discussion |
1.Clotaire Rapaille (Anthropologist/Market researcher) 2.Rober Garfias (Anthropology Professor, UC Irvine) |
|
Session 3 |
Networking point between success cases of globalization projects of business and government policies and the globalization strategy of Arirang ※ The subject is to change according to the lectures |
Corporate people, public officers, and others |
* Lectures are subject to change.
** Arirang performance is expecting during the break time.
3. Arirang album with Korean-friendly artists
- Launch: October 1, 2009
- Concept: Korean's pride that is shared with the world community
- Renowned foreign artists, including George Winston, Inger Marie Gundersen, European Jazz Trio, to participate in the project
- Recording of various regional versions of Arirang, including Jeongseon, Milyang, Jindo, and Gangwondo Arirang
4. Multi-language Arirang story book
- Publication date: October 1, 2009
- Concept: Materials to promote the understanding of Arirang containing stories about people and events written in five languages
- Give information on Arirang through 13 different stories about Arirang