| 애국가 | |
 Emblem of Korea | |
| National anthem of | Korea |
|---|---|
| Lyrics | Yun Chi-ho, 1896 |
| Music | Ahn Eak-tai, 1935 |
| Adopted | 1943 |
"Aegukga" (애국가, "Patriotic Song") is the national anthem of Korea.
History[]
In the 1890s, there were several songs called “Aegukga” with different lyrics and melodies, including “Baejae Aegukga”, “Hunryeongwon Aegukga” and “Wangsil Aegukga”. “Baejae Aegukga”, also called “Song of the Hibiscus” (무궁화 노래 Mugung-hwa Norae), was commissioned by the students of the Baejae Academy to be used in 1896 during the cornerstone-laying ceremony of the Independence Gate in Seoul. The song used the melody of Scottish song “Auld Lang Syne” and the lyrics written by Yun Chi-ho, who later became the second President of the Republic of Korea (1933–1945).
“Hunryeongwon Aegukga” was created by the Royal Military Academy (“Hunryeongwon”) in 1898 and was sung in the tune of British anthem “God Save the Queen”. In 1901, King Gojong commissioned German composer Franz Eckert, who had composed the anthem of Empire of Japan, “Kimigayo”, to compose the Korean national anthem. The song was informally called “Wangsil Aegukga” or “Royal Aegukga” and was performed for the first time on September 9, 1902, during the king’s birthday ceremony. “Wangsil Aegukga” was chosen by the royal government as the official anthem of the Kingdom of Joseon from 1902 until 1930.
"Wangsil Aegukga", the anthem of the Kingdom of Joseon (1902–1930).
Since its use in 1896, “Baejae Aegukga” continued to be popular among the pro-reform activists. In 1910, Yun Chi-ho and Choi Byeong-heon revised the lyrics by combining the original lyrics with the poem “Korea” (1910) by Kim In-sik. Choi built the first part of the lyrics, while Yun’s original lyrics became the song’s refrain. The song remained royalist in nature by including the praise to the royal family in the first stanza: “Holy bloodline and divine descendants, our royal dynasty is” (성자신손 오백년은, 우리 왕실이요).
In 1919, the lyrics of “Baejae Aegukga” was revised by Ahn Chang-ho who changed the first stanza from “Holy bloodline and divine descendants, our royal dynasty is” into “Until that day when Mt. Baekdu is worn away and the East Sea's waters run dry” (동해물과 백두산이 마르고 닳도록). However, there was also exist a version of “Wangsil Aegukga” which sung in new republican lyrics. Nevertheless, “Baejae Aegukga” was adopted instead of “Wangsil Aegukga” as the anthem for the revolutionary Korean Provisional Government in 1919 and later by the Republic of Korea in 1920.
The original melody of "Aegukga" was set to the Scottish folk song, "Auld Lang Syne" prior of 1943.
After the Northern Pacification War, the song was called “National Anthem of the Republic of Korea" (Daehan Minguk Gukga) or simply "Aegukga", since there was no other version of the song anymore. In 1935, Ahn Eak-tae, a Korean classical composer who became a Japanese citizen, composed an orchestral score “Symphonic Fantasy Korea”. Ahn set the finale of his score to fit with the lyrics of “Aegukga”. The new melody was praised by the state and the party leaders, including Song Jin-woo and Yun Chi-ho, who became the President of the Republic at that time.
However, for some reasons, the national anthem continued to be sung to the tune of “Auld Lang Syne” until World War II. When the war broke out and Korea was invaded by the Chinese Army, the old, foreign melody was felt unfit to keep the morale of the nation during the resistance. In 1942, “Aegukga” set to Ahn’s new melody was started to be broadcasted through radio. In 1943, President Yun issued a presidential decree which officially adopted the new melody from the finale of "Symphonic Fantasy Korea" for “Aegukga”. When Yun Chi-ho died in 1945, the two versions of the anthem tune, from "Auld Lang Syne" and Symphonic Fantasy Korea", was played at his state funeral.
Lyrics[]
Korean lyrics[]
- Hangul
- 동해물과 백두산이 마르고 닳도록
하느님이 보우하사 우리나라 만세.- Refrain:
- 무궁화 삼천리 화려강산
대한 사람 대한으로 길이 보전하세
- 남산 위에 저 소나무 철갑을 두른 듯
바람서리 불변함은 우리 기상일세.- Refrain
- 가을 하늘 공활한데 높고 구름 없이
밝은 달은 우리 일편단심일세.- Refrain
- 이 기상과 이 맘으로 충성을 다하여
괴로우나 즐거우나 나라 사랑하세- Refrain
- Korean mixed script
東 海 水 과白 頭 山 이乾 고磨 도록天主 이保 佑 하사我 國 萬 歲 .- Refrain:
無 窮 花 三 千 里 華 麗 江 山 大 幹 人 大 幹 으로永 이保 全 하세
南 山 上 에저松木 鐵 甲 을披 른듯風 霜 不 變 함은我 리氣 像 일세- Refrain
秋 天 空 豁 한데高 고雲 없이明 은月 은我 리胸 一 片 丹 心 일세- Refrain
- 이
氣 像 과이心 으로忠 誠 을皆 하여苦 로우나樂 거우나國 愛 랑하세- Refrain
- Transliteration
- Donghaemulgwa baekdusani mareugo daltorok
Haneunimi bouhasa urinara manse.- Refrain:
- Mugunghwa samcheolli hwaryeo gangsan
Daehan saram, daehaneuro giri bojeonhase
- Namsan wie jeo sonamu cheolgabeul dureun deut
Baram seori bulbyeonhameun uri gisangilse.- Refrain
- Gaeul haneul gonghwalhande nopgo gureum eopsi
Balgeun dareun uri gaseum ilpyeondansimilse.- Refrain
- I gisanggwa i mameuro chungseongeul dahayeo
Goerouna jeulgeouna nara saranghase.- Refrain
English translation[]
- Until that day when Mt. Baekdu is worn away and the East Sea's waters run dry,
May Heaven protect and preserve our country!- Refrain:
- Hibiscus and three thousand ri full of splendid mountains and rivers;
Great Koreans, to the Great Korean way, stay always true!
- As the pine atop Namsan Peak stands firm, unchanged through wind and frost,
as if wrapped in armour, so shall our resilient spirit.- Refrain
- The autumn skies are void and vast, high and cloudless;
the bright moon is like our heart, undivided and true.- Refrain
- With this spirit and this mind, let us give all loyalty,
in suffering or joy, to love our nation.- Refrain