The "Song of General Kim Il Sung" (Korean:김일성 장군의 노래) is a North Korean marching song composed by Kim Won-gyun in 1946. As a part of an ongoing cult of personality, the song praising Kim Il Sung, North Korea's "Eternal President", who died in 1994, is still widely played in the country. It is often considered to be the de facto national anthem in North Korea.
The song is a four-square march. It features paired two bar phrases in an A-B-A form,[1] with dotted rhythms. Percussion and brass instrumentation is intended to enhance the revolutionary tone of the song.[2]
The song, composed in 1946, is the earliest known work of art mentioning Kim Il Sung, and thus can be said to mark the beginning of his personality cult.[3]
In the early 1980s Kim Jong Il began promoting the song and it has since replaced "Aegukka", the national anthem, as the most important song and the de facto anthem played in public gatherings in the country. North Koreans typically know the lyrics by heart,[4] though this seems to have changed under his grandson, Kim Jong Un.
The first two bars of the song are used as an interval signal on North Korean radio and television. According to North Korean sources, their satellites Kwangmyŏngsŏng-1, launched in 1998,[5] and Kwangmyŏngsŏng-2, supposedly launched in a test on 5 April 2009, are broadcasting this song among other data.[6]
Emulating a Buddhist tradition of carving sutras, its lyrics are carved in stones[2] as well as the Pyongyang Arch of Triumph.[7]
The song is played by the North Korean state television and Voice of Korea at the start of broadcasts each day.[8]
Lyrics
| Chosŏn'gŭl | McCune-Reischauer | Revised Romanization | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 장백산 줄기줄기 피어린 자욱
압록강 굽이굽이 피어린 자욱 오늘도 자유조선 꽃다발 우에 력력히 비쳐주는 거룩한 자욱
만주벌 눈바람아 이야기하라 밀림의 긴긴 밤아 이야기하라 만고의 빨찌산이 누구인가를 절세의 애국자가 누구인가를
로동자 대중에겐 해방의 은인 민주의 새 조선엔 위대한 태양 이십개 정강우에 모두다 뭉쳐 북조선 방방곡곡 새봄이 온다
|
Changbaeksan chulgijulgi p'iŏrin chauk
Amnokkang kubigubi p'iŏrin chauk onŭldo chayu Chosŏn kkottabal ue ryŏngnyŏkhi pich'yŏjunŭn kŏrukhan chauk
Manjubŏl nunbarama iyagihara millimŭi kin'gin pama iyagihara man'goŭi ppaltchisani nuguingarŭl chŏlseŭi aegukchaga nuguingarŭl
rodongja taejungegen haebangŭi ŭnin minjuŭi sae Chosŏn en widaehan t'aeyang isipkae chŏnggangue moduda mungch'yŏ puk Chosŏn pangbanggokkok saebomi oda
|
Jangbaeksan julgijulgi pieorin jauk
Amnokgang gubigubi pieorin jauk Oneuldo jayu Joseon kkotdabarue Ryeongnyeokhi bichyeojuneun georukhan jauk
Manjubeol nunbarama iyagihara Millimui gin-gin bama iyagihara Man-goui ppaljjisani nugu-in-gareul Jeolse-ui aegukjaga nugu-in-gareul
Rodongja daejung-egen haebang-ui eunin Minjuui sae Joseon en widaehan taeyang Isipgae jeonggang-ue moduda mungchyeo Buk Joseon bangbanggokgok saebomi oda
|
Bright traces of blood on the crags of Jangbaek still gleam,
Still the Amnok carries along signs of blood in its stream. Still do those hallowed traces shine resplendently Over Korea ever flourishing and free.
Tell, blizzards that rage in the wild Manchurian plains, Tell, you nights in forests deep where the silence reigns, Who is the partisan whose deeds are unsurpassed? Who is the patriot whose fame shall ever last?
He severed the chains of the masses, brought them liberty, The sun of Korea today, democratic and free. For the Twenty Points united we stand fast, Over our fair homeland spring has come at last!
|
See also
- "Song of General Kim Jong Il"
- "Aegukga" – National anthem of South Korea
- "Aegukka" – National anthem of North Korea
References
- ^ Collège de France; Ok Yi; Daniel Bouchez; Yun-ik Chang (2000). Cahiers d'études coréennes. Centre dʹEtudes Coréennes du Collège de France. p. 112.
- ^ a b Jane Portal (2005). Art Under Control in North Korea. Reaktion Books. p. 93. ISBN 978-1-86189-236-2.
- ^ Jae-Cheon Lim (24 March 2015). Leader Symbols and Personality Cult in North Korea: The Leader State. Routledge. p. 29. ISBN 978-1-317-56741-7. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
- ^ Eddie Burdick (2010). Three Days in the Hermit Kingdom: An American Visits North Korea. McFarland. p. 248. ISBN 978-0-7864-5653-6.
- ^ Brian Harvey; Henk H. F. Smid; Theo Pirard (2011). Emerging Space Powers: The New Space Programs of Asia, the Middle East and South-America. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 443. ISBN 978-1-4419-0874-2.
- ^ "Defiant N Korea launches rocket". BBC News. 5 April 2009.
- ^ Justin Corfield (2014). Historical Dictionary of Pyongyang. Anthem Press. p. 9. ISBN 978-1-78308-341-1.
- ^ "KCTV startup". YouTube. 12 April 2013. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
