Today is Ipchun, the beginning of spring according to Korea’s seasonal calendar. In the old days, Korean people used the lunar calendar, based on lunar cycles. But the movements of the sun were more important to farmers, so they devised a seasonal calendar divided into 24 periods or jeolgi. The 24 jeolgi cycle begins at Ipchun, which usually falls around February 4th, according to the solar calendar. The lunar calendar is not exact, but Ipchun is generally in the lunar month of January. Sometimes it falls twice in a single lunar annual cycle, once in January and once again in December, before the lunar year is over. That is called “ssangchunnyeon,” or the year of two springs. The year 2015 is such a year. Some people may think it’s premature to talk about spring when seol or the lunar New Year’s Day is two weeks away. But those who are sensitive to the change of seasons may be able to feel a change in the winds.

Words Delivered by the Wind/ Sogeum by Han Chung-eun, haegeum by Roh Eun-ah, and guitar by Kwon Jeong-gu

That was “Words Delivered by the Wind” performed by Han Chung-eun at the sogeum, Roh Eun-ah at the haegeum, and Kwon Jeong-gu at the guitar. When the time for Ipchun came around, ancient Koreans used to put up writings wishing for good health and good fortune on the pillars or gates of their homes. Oftentimes, these writings were short phrases made up of four Chinese characters, but sometimes people put up longer ones, such as the following:

Old illnesses have already disappeared along with the winter
And auspicious signs have come along with the early spring.
Clear eyes like a mirror, dark hair like jade,
These are the foremost blessings for a human being.
Don’t say there’s nothing to enjoy in an impoverished home.
The old mother’s spring days are a promise for a millennium.
A thick snow cover, frozen ice, and shabby fences surround me
And the brazier’s flame cannot warm up my cold skin,
But when I look out the window
The news of spring has arrived at the first plum blossoms.


This long wish told people not to worry about the cold and poverty, as the writer was still young, his parents still healthy and the spring would surely return.

Spring in My Hometown/ Erhu by Kim Se-young

That was “Spring in My Hometown” with Kim Se-young playing the erhu. Erhu is a Chinese musical instrument very similar to Korea’s haegeum. This two-stringed instrument is played by running the bow, held with an underhand grip, across the string. While the sound of erhu is rounded, like a violin, haegeum sounds sharper, as if it is reflecting the fiercely resilient nature of the Korean people. In the East, spring is the time when the forces of the universe are pushed up from the bottom. That’s how seedlings push up through the soil to grow in the spring. When the four seasons are compared to a person’s life, spring is often likened to childhood, a period of rapid growth. The last piece of music we’re going to enjoy in this episode of Sounds of Korea is “Spring,” performed by IS, a musical trio composed of triplet sisters. Kim Jin-ah plays the gayageum, Kim Seon-ah the geomungo, and Kim Min-ah the haegeum. Please enjoy the effervescent piece as it reminds us of the vibrant spring.

Spring/ Performed by IS