KOREAN LYRICS

Donghae mulgwa Baekdusani mareugo daltorok
Haneunimi bo-uhasa uri nara manse

CHORUS:
Mugunghwa samcheolli hwaryeo gangsan
Daehan saram Daehan euro giri bojeonhase

Namsan wie jeosonamu cheolgapeul dureundeut
Baram seori bulbyueon hameun uri gisang ilse

CHORUS

Gaeul haneul gonghwal hande nopgo gureum eopshi
Balgeun daleun uri gaseum ilpyeon danshim ilse


CHORUS

Igi sangwa imam euro jeongseongeul dahayeo 
Goereo una jeulgeo una nara sarang hase

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ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Until the East Sea's waves are dry, (and) Mt. Baekdusan worn away, God watch o'er our land forever! Our country forever!

CHORUS:
Rose of Sharon, thousand miles of range and river land! Guarded by her people, ever may Korea stand!

Like that Mt. Namsan armored pine, standing on duty still, wind or frost, unchanging ever, be our resolute will.

CHORUS

In autumn's, arching evening sky,crystal, and cloudless blue, Be the radiant moon our spirit, steadfast, single, and true.

CHORUS

With such a will, (and) such a spirit, loyalty, heart and hand, Let us love, come grief, come gladness, this, our beloved land!

CHORUS


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South Korea
"Aegukka" (Patriotic Song)

Words by:Yun Ch'i-Ho or An Ch'ang-Ho
Music by:Ahn Eaktay
Adopted:1948

First performed in 1896, it was well-known by all Koreans by 1910. (It was not
the national anthem at this time however, as an imperial_anthem was in use at
the time.) At this time, the song was usually sung to a Scottish folk song,
"Auld Lang Syne", as well as occassionally to other music. In that year, the
Japanese invaded Korea, and banned the anthem. However, it was still popular
with Koreans abroad as a yearning for national independence.

In 1937 composer Ahn Eaktay wrote the music that's currently in use for the
anthem (he wanted the song to have a Korean melody and not that of a folk song
of a foreign nation). It was adopted by the government in exile and then, when
South Korea was founded in 1948, three years after the Japanese occupation
ended, it was officially adopted by that government.

Interestingly, not only does the music of the South Korean anthem sounds
vaguely like the North Korean anthem's music, but they also share a title.
There has also been a "united Korean anthem" created by blending the melodies
of the two nations' anthems seamlessly, used by some to promote Korean re-
unification.

Special thanks to:Katherine Cho for the lyrics in Han-geul script

See also: Korean_Empire.

MUSIC
