In Korea there is a period in summer called “sambok,” which refers to the three hottest times. Yesterday was “chobok,” which means the first heat, and next Friday, July 27^th, will be “jungbok,” the middle heat. August 16^th “malbok,” will mark the last heat. In the old days, people believed that on each of these hot days, rice plants would grow by as much as the size of your hand, and after the last heat wave passed, rice grains would begin to form. While the rice was growing taller during the hottest time of the year, farmers would take a brief rest under the shade and replenish their energy by eating hearty, fatty meals. And such a great meal wouldn’t be complete without alcohol. They would make the food and wine more enjoyable by adding a song or two about longevity, loving life, or appreciating fine wine. 

Music 1: Mansu Mountain/ Sung by Lee Jun-ah

That was “Mansu Mountain” sung by Lee Jun-ah. The song is about having a long and satisfying life after drinking wine made with the water from Mansu Mountain. There used to be several drinking songs in Korea, but they were not all happy ones. For instance, there is an interesting drinking song in pansori called “Chunhyangga춘향가.” Lee Mong-ryong, who became a secret government inspector, goes to the town magistrate’s birthday party, pretending to be a beggar. He wasn’t there to celebrate the corrupt official’s birthday, but to find out who was there and what they were talking about. It was sort of an undercover operation to find out how corrupt the official was. What he saw was an extravagant and wasteful celebration with mountains of food and rivers of wine, while ordinary folks remained impoverished and starving. 

The enraged Lee crashes the party, begging for wine and insisting to hear a drinking song. A female entertainer reluctantly sings him a drinking song, but it wasn’t one wishing him a long life, it was one that cursed him. However, Mong-ryong isn’t deterred at all by the spiteful song. The next pansori aria we’re going to hear describes how Mong-ryong makes those crooked officials pay for their offenses. It is sung by Oh Jeong-sook.

Music 2: Passage from pansori “Chunhyangga”/ Sung by Oh Jeong-sook

Jeong Cheol정철 is cited as one of the greatest literary minds in the Joseon Dynasty. But he had one character flaw and that was his infatuation with alcohol. He was even rebuked by the king for missing a cabinet meeting because he was too hungover. The king gave him a small silver wine cup and told him to drink only one cup of wine a day. But Jeong Cheol hammered the cup thin to make it bigger so he could drink more. Since he was a gifted writer and wine lover, it is not at all strange that he wrote a poem about wine. 

Let’s drink, let’s drink once again.

Let’s drink eternally while counting flowers. 

When I die,

Whether my body is covered with a straw mat and carried in a cart,

Or whether my body is laid down in a flowered casket with mourning people following,

Once it enters the oak forest, who would ask me to have a drink

When the golden sun and the white moon shine, when misty rain and heavy snow come? 

What use is regret when the whistling wind blows over the grave?

This poem titled “Jangjinjusa” written by Jeong Cheol suggests having drinks while we’re alive since there won’t be anyone to offer us alcohol once we’re dead. It would make anyone want to have a drink! The poem was turned into a song called “Let’s Have a Drink” and today’s rendition will be sung by Jo Sun-ja.

Music 3: “Let’s Have a Drink”/ Sung by Jo Sun-ja