Gagok가곡 is a traditional musical genre in which the Korean poetry of sijo시조 is set to orchestra music. Unlike folk songs which anybody can sing, gagok songs require musical training. They are also best when accompanied by a wide range of instruments such as the gayageum, geomungo, haegeum, janggu and more. The gagok songs also strictly divided into two groups – one that is sung by male singers and the other by female singers. It cost a lot to invite the gagok singers and accompanying musicians, hence gagok songs were enjoyed mostly by wealthy people or noblemen. It is typical of female singers who sing gagok songs to have very high, pretty voices. The female gagok song we’re going to enjoy today is titled “Peony.” The song starts with a line that goes “Peony is king among the flowers and sunflower a loyal subject.” The song features many other flowers, such as lotus, chrysanthemum, apricot flowers, plum blossoms and gourd flowers, the characteristics which are likened to different human beings. Let’s listen to “Peony” sung by female jeongga choir, AHRI. 

Peony / Sung by AHRI

AHRI is a jeongga choir comprised of elementary, middle and high school students. People often think that young people don’t like gagok songs usually slower in rhythm than today’s Korean pop music. It is, therefore, very heartwarming and meaningful to see these youngsters learning and singing Korean traditional songs that even grownups find difficult. It also demonstrates a bright future for gagok songs.  

Songs sung innocently with lips as beautiful as bird, flowers and cherries

Those are the sounds of nature and heaven.

The way they frolic like doves and rabbits

With their soft hair billowing in the winds

That itself is the sight of nature and shadow of heaven.

There is no greed of grownups and no ambitious plans in there.

This is an excerpt from children’s magazine “Children” first published in 1923 by children’s rights activist Bang Jeong-hwan. The Korean word for ‘children’ is “eorini어린이.” It is generally believed that “eorini” is a shortened form of “eorin ai어린 아이,” which means young people, but the “i이” in “eorini” is actually used to address someone of a higher status. So the word “eorini” is actually an honorific title for children, reflecting the thought that even a young child should be respected as a human being. Next up are two children’s songs – “Everything Is a Flower” by Seong Da-gyeong and “Ddulle Ddulle” by Daekyo Kids TV Chorus.

“Everything Is a Flower” / Seong Da-gyeong 

“Ddulle Ddulle”/ Daekyo Kids TV Chorus

Korean Children’s Day was first created in 1923, but back then it was May 1^st, not 5^th like these days. In a leaflet informing the nation about the establishment of Children’s Day, there were several requests made to adults under the title “Informing the Adults.”

• Don’t lie to children.
• Use honorifics to children and always speak gently.
• Allow children to sleep and exercise sufficiently.
• Give children timely haircuts and baths.
• Don’t let children see bad things and take them to the zoo often.
• Don’t think about marrying them off but raise them as decent human beings.

Judging from these requests, children in the early 20^th century were in a vastly different situation than now. The request to use honorifics to children suggests that they were not treated as respectable entities back then. These days children are treated like princes and princesses, but it is questionable whether they are really being considered like human beings when we see them judged by school grades and test scores. We should realize that when children are truly happy, our future becomes happy too. We’ll wrap up this week’s episode of Sounds of Korea with now famed gugak artist Jang Seo-yoon singing “Gogocheonbyeon고고천변” when she was only a child. 

Gogocheonbyeon / Sung by Jang Seo-yoon