Arirang

Lore & Background

The song is believed to have originated in Jeongseon, Gangwon Province. The term 'arirang' is ambiguous in meaning; some linguists hypothesize 'ari' meant 'beautiful' and 'rang' referred to 'beloved one' in ancient Korean, together meaning 'my beloved one'. A legend tells of a bachelor and maiden who fell in love near Auraji, a body of water whose name derives from a Korean word meaning 'to meet'. In one version, the bachelor cannot cross the water; in another, he drowns. Professor Keith Howard notes the first mention of the song was in a 1756 manuscript. Some locals trace it to the Goryeo era. The song may have spread to Seoul when workers from Gangwon were sent to rebuild Gyeongbok Palace under Prince Regent Heungseon of the Joseon period. The first known recording was made in 1896 by American ethnologist Alice C. Fletcher in Washington, D.C., featuring three Korean students or workers singing 'Arirang' or 'Ar-ra-rang'.

Reader's Guide

Arirang holds deep cultural and historical significance in Korea. During the Japanese occupation, it became an unofficial resistance anthem when singing patriotic songs was criminalized; protesters sang it during the March First Movement in 1919. Many variations from that period contain themes of injustice, labor, and guerrilla warfare, and some were banned in the 1930s for 'disturbance of public order'. The most well-known lyrics first appeared in the 1926 silent film Arirang, directed by Na Woon-gyu, considered the first Korean nationalist film. The song is sung today in both North and South Korea, symbolizing unity. It was added to China's national intangible cultural heritage list in 2011, and the U.S. Army's 7th Infantry Division adopted it as its official march song in 1956. Its inclusion on UNESCO's list by both Koreas underscores its role as a shared cultural heritage.

Did You Know?

• The first known recording of Arirang was made in 1896 by American ethnologist Alice C. Fletcher.
• During the Japanese occupation, singing Arirang became an act of resistance, and some versions were banned in the 1930s.
• The U.S. Army's 7th Infantry Division adopted Arirang as its official march song in 1957.
• Arirang is included twice on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list, submitted by South Korea in 2012 and North Korea in 2014.