[What to play] Melodies of liberation

On Aug. 15, 1945, Korea achieved independence after 35 years of Japanese colonial rule. Many fought for the country’s liberation from the Japanese Empire, with many losing their lives.

August seems to be a perfect time to reflect on the stories of those who endured tremendous hardships and their legacies in Korean music today.

Screenshot of singer Ahn Ye-eun singing "Women’s March" (Ahn Ye-eun's official Youtube channel)

"Women’s March" sung by Ahn Ye-eun

In 1919, after the nationwide March 1st Independence Movement, seven female independence activists — Yu Gwan-sun, Sim Myung-chul, Eo Yun-hee, Kwon Ae-ra, Shin Gwan-bin, Lim Myung-ae and Kim Hyang-hwa— were imprisoned in Cell No. 8 of Seodaemun Prison for leading the movement.

These women, from teenagers to those in their 30s, overcame their fears and strengthened their resolve together in prison, creating and singing a song. Although the melody has not survived, the lyrics have been passed down. Sim Myung-chul’s son, Moon Su-il, recalled, “(My mother used to say) the cellmates sang this song frequently, and the guards would often tell them to be quiet.”

In 2019, singer-songwriter Ahn Ye-eun, known for her unique singing style that resembles pansori, composed the melody for a song to revive the spirit of the seven activists.

Listening to lyrics like “We prayed with tears of blood / Korea is alive / Mountains and rivers move, and the sea boils,” combined with Ahn's voice expressing anguish, one can feel the intense resolve of the independence fighters.

Album cover of "Nostalgia" sung by Lee Dong-won, Park In-soo (Vibe)

"Nostalgia" sung by Lee Dong-won, Park In-soo

The song, “Nostalgia,” sung by singer Lee Dong-won and tenor Park In-soo, was released in 1989. The music is set to a poem by Jeong Ji-yong, a prominent poet during the Japanese colonial period.

Jeong wrote this poem in 1923 while studying in Japan, longing for his hometown. Recognized as one of the major works in modern Korean poetry, this poem is famous for its delicate and sensory expressions. Describing the peaceful and beautiful homeland, the repeated phrase “How could I forget the place, even in a dream?” reveals the poet’s deep longing for his home.

Despite the classical music community’s reluctance to collaborate on popular music at the time -- Park In-soo was expelled from the National Opera Company over the song -- "Nostalgia" was loved by many and sparked more cross-genre collaborations.

Singer Lee Hyori (Antenna)

"Diamond" sung by Lee Hyori

Aug. 14, the eve of the Korean Peninsula' liberation from Imperial Japan, Liberation Day, is a day of remembering the victims of Japanese military's sexual slavery during World War II often called "comfort women."

Lee Hyori's "Diamond" is a track from her sixth studio album released on July 4, 2017, featuring her and singer-songwriter Lee Juck’s calm voices blended with a gentle piano melody.

In an interview with JTBC Newsroom on June 29, 2017, Lee Hyori explained that she wrote and composed "Diamond" to console the victims of Japanese military sexual slavery.

“The lyrics came to me while reading an article about the passing of a comfort woman. I couldn’t do anything grand, but I wanted to offer even a small comfort to the deceased,” said the singer during the interview.

To this day, the controversy continues over whether the Japanese government has sufficiently addressed and apologized for the issue in a way that the victims consent to. Most of the victims have passed away with only nine comfort women surviving nationwide.

By Lee Jung-youn(jy@heraldcorp.com)