In 1919, when Koreans were under Japanese colonial rule, a great number of people went out to the street to call for Korea’s independence. Back then, such public, nationwide show of support for independence would publicize to the world how unfair and atrocious the Japanese colonial government was and prompt the world to side with Korea in their fight for freedom. But a lot of people lost their lives and got hurt or imprisoned during the protests. The biggest discouragement came from realizing that a better, free future seemed out of reach. But then, the following song began to catch on among ordinary people. 

This song known as “The Song of Hope” was set to the tune of an American hymn. The song was also sung in Japan to remember the students who died in a marine accident. This is supposedly Korea’s first pop song, but when it was first released, it was sung like a folksong. Let’s listen to the 2019 adaptation of “The Song of Hope” accompanied by the gayageum. Here’s Lee Jeong-pyo to sing “This Troubled Time.” 

You listened to Lee Jeong-pyo’s “This Troubled Time.” When this song was first released, it was also called “The Song Warning against a Prodigal Man” because of its lyrics describing the futility of life. The reason it became known as “The Song of Hope” was because of the Korean people’s optimistic mindset and undying hope for the future even in the depth of despair. There are quite a number of songs about hope for prosperity and peace among Korean traditional songs. 

Gyeonggi folksong “Taepyeongga태평가” or “The Song of Peace,” first released during the Japanese colonial time, starts off like this. It became a huge hit during the Korean War when singer Lee Eun-ju이은주 sang the song in folksy style to comfort the people tired of war and evacuating from their hometowns. 

The gagok가곡 version of “Taepyeongga” refers to the peaceful times achieved by ancient Chinese kings. People in ancient times used to speak about hope for the future as if it had already been fulfilled. So, the part where it goes “We will have fun in the time of peace and prosperity” probably meant people hoped for the time of peace and prosperity. Let’s listen to “Taepyeongga” sung by Koo Min-ji and performed by Sangjaru. 

Everyone goes through tough times in life, and relying on a divine being and praying to it sometimes gives great comfort to us. Anyone who has offered a prayer probably had an experience in which you begin praying for yourself and then gradually expand the topic of your prayer to include the wellbeing of your loved ones, those suffering from poverty and war, and eventually peace for all mankind. It will be Christmas in a few days. Jesus Christ said that he didn’t come to this world to be served, but to serve and offer his life for our redemption. He probably said this so that we would follow his example of self-sacrifice and faith. Let us remember his teachings as we listen to “A Prayer (for Souls)” composed by Jung Jae-il and sung by Kim Yul-hee.