National anthem of North Korea
Aegukka
English: Patriotic Song
|
---|
|
Sheet music atop North Korean state emblem
|
National anthem of
North Korea
|
Also known as
| (English: Song of a Devotion to a Country)
|
---|
Lyrics
| Pak Se-yong
, 1946,
[1]
2024 (modified)
|
---|
Music
| Kim Won-gyun
, 1945
[1]
|
---|
Adopted
| 1947
|
---|
|
|
|
|
"
Aegukka
" (
Chos?n'g?l
:
愛國歌
;
lit.
'
Song of Patriotism
'
), officially translated as "
Patriotic Song
",
[3]
is the
national anthem
of the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea
, more commonly known as North Korea. It was composed in 1945 as a patriotic song celebrating independence from
Japanese occupation
and was adopted as the state anthem in 1947.
Performance of this anthem is strictly prohibited in the
Republic of Korea
, more commonly known as South Korea, under the
National Security Act
.
Etymology
[
edit
]
"Aegukka" is a Romanized transliteration of "The Patriotic Song"; the song is also known by its
incipit
Ach'im?n pinnara
or "Let Morning Shine"
[1]
[4]
or in its Korean name
아침은 빛나라
or alternatively as the "
Song of a Devotion to a Country
".
The
Encyclopedia of Korean Culture
defines "Aegukka" as "the song to wake up the mind to love the country". "Aegukka" in itself is differentiated from a national anthem. While a national anthem or
gukka
(
lit.
'
country song
'
) is an official symbol of the state,
aegukka
refers to any song, official or unofficial, that contains patriotic fervor towards its country, such as
Hungary
's "
Szozat
" or the U.S. "The Stars and Stripes Forever". However, the nationally designated "Aegukka" plays the role of symbolizing the country.
[5]
[6]
In general shorthand, the term
aegukka
refers to the
national anthem
of
North Korea
.
[7]
[5]
History
[
edit
]
Originally, the
Korean exile government
(1919?1945) in
Shanghai
,
China
adopted as their
national anthem
"
Aegukga
" (which has the same name with a different Romanization) to the tune of "
Auld Lang Syne
". After
World War II
,
South Korea
kept the words, put to a new tune (changed from "
Auld Lang Syne
"), while North Korea adopted this newly written piece in 1947.
[4]
The words were written by
Pak Se-yong
and the music was composed by
Kim Won-gyun
.
[1]
In the early 1980s,
Kim Jong Il
sought to reduce the song's importance to the benefit of "
Song of General Kim Il Sung
".
[8]
The complete version of "Aegukka" consists two verses. On official occasions, when only the first verse is performed, it is customary to repeat the last four bars. However, if both verses are performed, it is the last four bars of the second verse that are repeated instead.
[9]
[10]
"Song of General Kim Il Sung" and "
Song of General Kim Jong Il
" have since taken the place of
de facto
national anthems domestically, and "Aegukka" is reserved for representing North Korea internationally: when foreign dignitaries visit the country or North Korean athletes compete at international sporting competitions.
[11]
"Aegukka" is almost unique among most North Korean patriotic songs, as it praises neither the
Workers' Party of Korea
nor the
Kim family
, but rather the whole of Korea itself.
[12]
"Aegukka" is played at the start of each of
Korean Central Television
's broadcast days.
[13]
[14]
In February 2024, in line with
Kim Jong Un
's announcement of officially abandoning efforts to peacefully reunifying Korea, the lyrics were partially modified, with the phrase "three thousand
ri
" (
Korean
:
三千里
;
Hanja
:
三千里
) referring to the Korean Peninsula being replaced by "this world" (
Korean
:
이 世上
;
Hanja
:
이 世上
).
[12]
On 17 April 2024, a ceremony was held to celebrate the completion of 10,000 new homes in Hwasong District, Pyongyang,
[15]
in which the national anthem was performed. This was broadcast on Korea Central Television, and was rebroadcast on the next day, 18 April. However, during the rebroadcast, the title was changed from
Aegukka
(
Korean
:
愛國歌
;
Hancha
:
愛國歌
) to simply "National Anthem of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea" (
Korean
:
조선민주주의인민공화국 國家
;
Hancha
:
朝鮮民主主義人民共和國 國歌
;
MR
:
Chos?n minjuju?i inmin konghwaguk kukka
).
[16]
It has been speculated that this was done to further strengthen the division between the north and south after
North Korea abandoned the idea of peaceful reunification
, by giving the national anthem a different title to that of South Korea. However, the
Constitution of North Korea
, in Article 171, still mentions that the national anthem is
Aegukka
, and as of 21 April 2024
[update]
there have been no reports regarding revision of this article.
Lyrics
[
edit
]
2024-Present
[
edit
]
Chos?n'g?l
|
Hanja
|
McCune?Reischauer romanization
|
English translation from the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the DPRK
[17]
|
Literal translation from Korean
|
I
아침은 빛나라 이 江山
銀金에 資源도 가득한
이 世上 아름다운 내 祖國
半萬年 오랜 歷史에
?? 燦爛한 文化로 자라난
슬기론 人民의 이 榮光
몸과 맘 다 바쳐 이 朝鮮
길이 받드세 ??
II
白頭山 氣像을 다 안고
勤勞의 精神은 깃들어
眞理로 뭉쳐진 억센 뜻
온 世界 앞서 나가리
?? 솟는 힘 盧도도 내밀어
人民의 뜻으로 선 나라
限없이 富强하는 이 朝鮮
길이 빛來世 ??
|
I
아침은 빛나라 이 江山
銀金에 資源도 가득한
이 世上 아름다운 내 祖國
半萬年 오랜 歷史에
?? 燦爛한 文化로 자라난
슬기론 人民의 이 榮光
몸과 맘 다 바쳐 이 朝鮮
길이 받드세 ??
II
白頭山 氣像을 다 안고
勤勞의 精神은 깃들어
眞理로 뭉쳐진 억센 뜻
온 世界 앞서 나가리
?? 솟는 힘 怒濤도 내밀어
人民의 뜻으로 선 나라
限없이 富强하는 이 朝鮮
길이 빛來世 ??
|
I
Ach'im?n pinnara i kangsan
?n'g?me chaw?ndo kad?khan
Yi sesang ar?mdaun nae choguk
Panmanny?n oraen ry?ksae
?? Ch'allanhan munhwaro charanan
S?lgiron inmin?i i y?nggwang
Momgwa mam ta pach'y? i Chos?n
Kiri patt?se ??
II
Paektusan kisang?l ta anko
K?llo?i ch?ngsin?n kitt?r?
Chilliro mungch'y?jin ?ksen tt?t
On segye aps? nagari
?? Sonn?n him nododo naemir?
Inmin?i tt?s?ro s?n nara
Han?psi puganghan?n i Chos?n
Kiri pinnaese ??
|
I
Shine bright, you dawn, on this land so fair,
This world, my beautiful homeland
So rich in silver and in gold you are,
Five thousand years of your history.
?? Our people ever were renowned and sage,
And rich in cultural heritage,
And as with heart and soul, we strive,
Korea shall forever thrive! ??
II
And in the spirit of Mount
Paektu
,
With the love of toil that shall never die,
With a will of iron fostered by the truth,
We'll lead the whole world by and by.
?? We have the might to foil the angry sea,
Our land more prosperous still shall be,
As by the people's will we strive,
Korea shall forever thrive! ??
|
I
In the morning, shine, these rivers and mountains
Full of silver and gold is this earth
My beautiful Fatherland in this world
In a long history of five thousand years
?? Growing up with a brilliant culture
With the people's wisdom and glory
As we sacrifice our body and mind to Korea
Forever may it be strong ??
II
With all the spirit of Mt. Paektu
The spirit of work lives on
A strong will, united by the truth
Lets us go ahead of the whole world
?? Showing the surging strength and power,
The country built by the will of the people
Infinitely prosperous, oh Korea
Forever may it shine ??
|
1947-2024
[
edit
]
Chos?n'g?l
[18]
|
Hanja
|
McCune?Reischauer romanization
|
English translation from
Kim Il-Sung University
[19]
|
Literal translation from Korean
|
I
아침은 빛나라 이 江山
銀金에 資源도 가득한
三千里 아름다운 내 祖國
半萬年 오랜 歷史에
?? 燦爛한 文化로 자라난
슬기론 人民의 이 榮光
몸과 맘 다 바쳐 이 朝鮮
길이 받드세 ??
II
白頭山 氣像을 다 안고
勤勞의 精神은 깃들어
眞理로 뭉쳐진 억센 뜻
온 世界 앞서 나가리
?? 솟는 힘 盧도도 내밀어
人民의 뜻으로 선 나라
限없이 富强하는 이 朝鮮
길이 빛來世 ??
|
I
아침은 빛나라 이 江山
銀金에 資源도 가득한
三千里 아름다운 내 祖國
半萬年 오랜 歷史에
?? 燦爛한 文化로 자라난
슬기론 人民의 이 榮光
몸과 맘 다 바쳐 이 朝鮮
길이 받드세 ??
II
白頭山 氣像을 다 안고
勤勞의 精神은 깃들어
眞理로 뭉쳐진 억센 뜻
온 世界 앞서 나가리
?? 솟는 힘 怒濤도 내밀어
人民의 뜻으로 선 나라
限없이 富强하는 이 朝鮮
길이 빛來世 ??
|
I
Ach'im?n pinnara i kangsan
?n'g?me chaw?ndo kad?khan
Samch'?lli ar?mdaun nae choguk
Panmanny?n oraen ry?ksae
?? Ch'allanhan munhwaro charanan
S?lgiron inmin?i i y?nggwang
Momgwa mam ta pach'y? i Chos?n
Kiri patt?se ??
II
Paektusan kisang?l ta anko
K?llo?i ch?ngsin?n kitt?r?
Chilliro mungch'y?jin ?ksen tt?t
On segye aps? nagari
?? Sonn?n him nododo naemir?
Inmin?i tt?s?ro s?n nara
Han?psi puganghan?n i Chos?n
Kiri pinnaese ??
|
I
Shine bright, you dawn, on this land so fair,
The country of three thousand
ri
,
So rich in silver and in gold you are,
Five thousand years of your history.
?? Our people ever were renowned and sage,
And rich in cultural heritage,
And as with heart and soul, we strive,
Korea shall forever thrive! ??
II
And in the spirit of Mount Paektu,
With the love of toil that shall never die,
With a will of iron fostered by the truth,
We'll lead the whole world by and by.
?? We have the might to foil the angry sea,
Our land more prosperous still shall be,
As by the people's will we strive,
Korea shall forever thrive! ??
|
I
In the morning, shine, this river and mountain
Full of silver and gold
Three thousand ri of my beautiful homeland
In a long history of five thousand years
?? Growing up with a brilliant culture
With the people's wisdom and glory
As we sacrifice our body and mind to Korea
Forever may it be strong ??
II
With all the spirit of Mt. Paektu
The spirit of work lives on
A strong meaning united by truth
Let us go ahead of the whole world
?? Showing the surging strength and power,
A country founded on the will of the people
Oh Korea, infinitely prosperous
Forever may it shine ??
|
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
c
d
Hoare, James E. (13 July 2012).
Historical Dictionary of Democratic People's Republic of Korea
. Scarecrow Press. p. 273.
ISBN
9780810879874
. Retrieved
10 April
2017
.
- ^
"Kim Il Sung Funeral,1994 [KCTV film] - YouTube"
.
YouTube
. 13 March 2024
. Retrieved
26 March
2024
.
- ^
"National Anthem of the DPRK"
.
DPRK Today
. Archived from
the original
on 12 February 2018
. Retrieved
27 July
2018
.
- ^
a
b
Agency, Central Intelligence (1 January 2015).
"KOREA, NORTH"
.
The World Factbook
. Masterlab.
ISBN
9788379912131
.
- ^
a
b
"愛國歌"
.
Academy of Korean Studies
. Retrieved
8 October
2013
.
- ^
"愛國歌[愛國歌]"
. Doosan Corporation
. Retrieved
8 October
2013
.
- ^
"愛國-가愛國歌"
. NAVER Corp
. Retrieved
8 October
2013
.
- ^
Eddie Burdick (26 May 2010).
Three Days in the Hermit Kingdom: An American Visits North Korea
. McFarland. p. 248.
ISBN
978-0-7864-5653-6
. Retrieved
25 April
2015
.
- ^
BlueMarbleNations (27 October 2011).
"North Korean National Anthem ? "Aegukka" (KO/EN)"
.
Archived
from the original on 12 December 2021 – via YouTube.
- ^
Military Parade Music (4 September 2015).
"Military Music ? North Korean National Anthem ? "Aegukka"
"
.
Archived
from the original on 12 December 2021 – via YouTube.
- ^
Lankov, Andrei
(24 April 2007).
North of the DMZ: Essays on Daily Life in North Korea
. McFarland. p. 38.
ISBN
978-0-7864-5141-8
. Retrieved
31 August
2016
.
- ^
a
b
Reddy, Shreyas (16 February 2024).
"North Korea's national anthem drops unification reference amid ongoing purge"
.
NK News
. Retrieved
18 February
2024
.
- ^
Archived at
Ghostarchive
and the
Wayback Machine
:
"National Anthem of North Korea ? Hymne National de la Coree du Nord [New HD Broadcast ? Dec. 2017]"
.
YouTube
.
- ^
Archived at
Ghostarchive
and the
Wayback Machine
:
"KCTV startup 23-04-2020"
.
YouTube
.
- ^
"North Korea celebrates building 10,000 modern homes in Pyongyang"
.
Reuters
. Retrieved
21 April
2024
.
- ^
"北, '愛國歌'→'조선민주주의인민공화국 國家'로 表記"
[North Korea labels
Aegukka
as "National Anthem of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea"].
Kukmin Ilbo
(in Korean). 18 April 2024
. Retrieved
21 April
2024
.
- ^
"National Name, Coat of arms, Flag, National Anthem: DPRK MFA"
. Archived from
the original
on 17 February 2024.
- ^
"조선민주주의인민공화국의 象徵"
.
조선의 오늘
. Retrieved
3 July
2021
.
- ^
"Kim Il Sung University"
. Archived from
the original
on 7 December 2020.
Further reading
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]
Look up
愛國歌
in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.