Aegukka

Not to be confused with Aegukga.

For the national anthem of South Korea, see Aegukga. For the national anthem of the Korean Empire, see Korean Empire Aegukga.

Aegukka

English: The Patriotic Song
애국가
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
Music	Kim Won-gyun, 1945
Adopted	1947

Aegukka
Chosŏn'gŭl	애국가
Hancha	愛國歌
Revised Romanization	Aegukga
McCune–Reischauer	Aegukka

"Aegukka" (Chosŏn'gŭl: 애국가; lit. 'Patriotism Song'), officially translated as the "Patriotic Song", 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.

Etymology

"Aegukka" is a Romanized transliteration of "The Patriotic Song"; the song is also known by its incipit Ach'imŭn pinnara or "Let Morning Shine" 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 "Szózat" or the U.S. "The Stars and Stripes Forever". However, the nationally designated "Aegukka" plays the role of symbolizing the country. In general shorthand, the term aegukka refers to the national anthem of North Korea.

History

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. The words were written by Pak Se-yong and the music was composed by Kim Won-gyun.

In the early 1980s, Kim Jong-il sought to reduce the song's importance to the benefit of "Song of General Kim Il-sung".

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.

"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. Compared to other nations, the North Korean national anthem is not often performed inside the country (except for radio and television sign-off) and thus many North Koreans do not know the lyrics.

"Aegukka" is almost unique among most North Korean patriotic songs, as it praises neither the Workers' Party of Korea, nor the Kim dynasty, but rather the whole of Korea itself.

"Aegukka" is played at the start of each of Korean Central Television's broadcast days.

Lyrics

Chosŏn'gŭl

Chosŏn'gŭl	McCune-Reischauer Romanization	Revised Kontsevich Cyrillization	IPA transcription
아침은 빛나라 이 강산 은금에 자원도 가득한 삼천리 아름다운 내 조국 반만년 오랜 력사에 𝄆 찬란한 문화로 자라난 슬기론 인민의 이 영광 몸과 맘 다 바쳐 이 조선 길이 받드세 𝄇 백두산 기상을 다 안고 근로의 정신은 깃들어 진리로 뭉쳐진 억센 뜻 온 세계 앞서 나가리 𝄆 솟는 힘 노도도 내밀어 인민의 뜻으로 선 나라 한없이 부강하는 이 조선 길이 빛내세 𝄇	Ach'imŭn pinnara i kangsan Ŭn'gŭme chawŏndo kadŭkhan Samch'ŏlli arŭmdaun nae choguk Panmannyŏn oraen ryŏksaë 𝄆 Ch'allanhan munhwaro charanan Sŭlgiron inminŭi i yŏnggwang Momgwa mam ta pach'yŏ i Chosŏn Kiri pattŭse 𝄇 Paektusan kisangŭl ta anko Kŭlloŭi chŏngsinŭn kittŭrŏ Chilliro mungch'yŏjin ŏksen ttŭt On segye apsŏ nagari 𝄆 Sonnŭn him nododo naemirŏ Inminŭi ttŭsŭro sŏn nara Hanŏpsi puganghanŭn i Chosŏn Kiri pinnaese 𝄇	Ачимын биннара и ганъсан Ынгыме завўндо гадыкхан Самчўлли арымдаун нэ зогук Бамманню̆н орэн рю̆ксае 𝄆 Чалланхан мунхваро заранан Сыльгирон инминый и ю̆нъгванъ Момгва мам да пачю̆ и Чосўн Гири баттысе 𝄇 Бэктусан гисанъыль да анго Гыллоый зўнъсинын гиттырў Зиллиро мунъчю̆чин ўксен ттыт Он сеге апсў нагари 𝄆 Соннын хим нододо нэмирў Инминый ттысыро сон нара Ханўпси буганъханын и Зосўн Гири биннэсе 𝄇	[a̠t͡ɕʰimɯn pinna̠ɾa̠ i ka̠ŋsʰa̠n] [ɯngɯme̞ t͡ɕa̠wʌ̹ndo̞ ka̠dɯkʰa̠n] [sʰa̠mt͡ɕʰʌ̹ɭʎi a̠ɾɯmda̠un nɛ̝ t͡ɕo̞guk̚] [pa̠nma̠nɲjʌ̹n o̞ɾɛ̝n ɾjʌ̹ks͈a̠e̞] 𝄆 [t͡ɕʰa̠ɭɭa̠nɦa̠n munβwa̠ɾo̞ t͡ɕa̠ɾa̠na̠n] [sʰɯɭgiɾo̞n inminɰi i jʌ̹ŋgwa̠ŋ] [mo̞mgwa̠ ma̠m ta̠ pa̠t͡ɕʰjʌ̹ i t͡ɕo̞sʰʌ̹n] [kiɾi pa̠t̚t͈ɯsʰe̞] 𝄇 [pɛ̝k̚t͈usʰa̠n kisʰa̠ŋɯɭ ta̠ a̠nko̞] [kɯɭɭo̞ɰi t͡ɕʌ̹ŋɕinɯn kit̚t͈ɯɾo̞] [t͡ɕiɭʎiɾo̞ muŋt͡ɕʰjʌ̹d͡ʑin ʌ̹ks͈e̞n t͈ɯt̚] [o̞n sʰe̞ɡje̞ a̠ps͈ʌ̹ na̠ga̠ɾi] 𝄆 [sʰo̞nnɯn çim no̞do̞do̞ nɛ̝miɾʌ̹] [inminɰi t͈ɯsʰɯɾo̞ so̞n na̠ɾa̠] [ha̠nʌ̹p̚ɕ͈i puga̠ŋɦa̠nɯn i t͡ɕo̞sʰʌ̹n] [kiɾi pinnɛ̝sʰe̞] 𝄇

Poetic English translation from Kim Il-Sung University

1.

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 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!

2.

And in the spirit of Mount Paektu,

With love of toil that shall never die,

With 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!

See also

• National symbols of North Korea
• "Aegukga"

Further reading

• Kim Il-sung (1980) [1946]. "To Create the National Anthem and the March of the People's Army: Talk with Writers" (PDF). Kim Il Sung: Works. Vol. 2. Pyongyang: Foreign Languages Publishing House. pp. 406–409. OCLC 827642144.

External links

• Lyrics in English at Naenara
• Lyrics in Korean at Naenara
• Lyrics in English at Kim Il-Sung University
• "Aegukka" (mp3) at Naenara