Aegukga
Encyclopedia
Aegukga is also the name of the national anthem of North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...

, although it is romanized differently. See Aegukka
Aegukka
"The Patriotic Song" is the national anthem of North Korea.-Etymology:"Aegukka" is also popularly referred to in North Korea by the first phrase of the song, "Ach'imŭn pinnara" or "Let Morning Shine".-History:...

.
Aegukga is also the name of the national anthem of Korean Empire
Korean Empire
The Greater Korean Empire was an empire of Korea that succeeded the Joseon Dynasty.In October 1897, Emperor Gojong proclaimed the new entity at Gyeongungung Palace and oversaw the partially successful modernization of the military, economy, land system, education system, and various industries...

, See Korean Empire Aegukga
Korean Empire Aegukga
The Anthem of the Greater Korean Empire was the first national anthem of Korea...

.


Aegukga is the national anthem of South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

. The title literally means "The Song of Love for the Country," or "The Patriotic Song."

It is believed that the lyrics were written for the cornerstone-laying ceremony of the Independence Gate
Independence Gate
The Independence Gate is a memorial gate located in Seoul, South Korea. The gate was built following the first Sino-Japanese war to inspire a spirit of independence away from previous Korean arrangement as a Chinese protectorate...

 in Seoul in 1896 by Yun Chiho, a politician, or by An Chang-ho, a pro-independence leader and educator. Initially, Aegukga was sung to the tune of the Scottish folk song "Auld Lang Syne
Auld Lang Syne
"Auld Lang Syne" is a Scots poem written by Robert Burns in 1788 and set to the tune of a traditional folk song . It is well known in many countries, especially in the English-speaking world; its traditional use being to celebrate the start of the New Year at the stroke of midnight...

", introduced to Korea by Western missionaries. The Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea
Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea
The Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea was the partially recognised government in exile of Korea, based in Shanghai, China, and later in Chongqing, during the Colonial Korea.-History:...

 (1919–1945) in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...

, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

, adopted it as their national anthem
National anthem
A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nation's government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people.- History :Anthems rose to prominence...

. At a ceremony celebrating the founding of South Korea on 15 August 1948, the Scottish tune was finally replaced by the Finale of Korea Fantasia that Ahn Eak-tae had composed in 1935. The new "Aegukga" was later adopted by the Presidential Decree of 1948 by then-President Syngman Rhee
Syngman Rhee
Syngman Rhee or Yi Seungman was the first president of South Korea. His presidency, from August 1948 to April 1960, remains controversial, affected by Cold War tensions on the Korean peninsula and elsewhere. Rhee was regarded as an anti-Communist and a strongman, and he led South Korea through the...

 (or Lee Seungman).

Lyrics

  Hangul
Hangul
Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...

Hangul and hanja
Hanja
Hanja is the Korean name for the Chinese characters hanzi. More specifically, it refers to those Chinese characters borrowed from Chinese and incorporated into the Korean language with Korean pronunciation...

Revised Romanization
Revised Romanization of Korean
The Revised Romanization of Korean is the official Korean language romanization system in South Korea proclaimed by Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, replacing the older McCune–Reischauer system...

English translation
1


Haneunimi bouhasa urinara manse
Until that day when
Mt. Baekdu's worn away
and the East Sea
East Sea
East Sea or Eastern Sea may refer to:* Sea of Japan, a marginal sea between Japanese archipelago, Russia, and Korean Peninsula. Called "East Sea" in South Korea and "Korea East Sea" or "East Sea of Korea" in North Korea...

's waters run dry,
God (sky) protect and preserve our country!
Refrain 무궁화 삼천리 화려 강산
대한 사람 대한으로 길이 보전하세
無窮花 三千里 華麗 江山
大韓 사람 大韓으로 길이 保全하세

Daehan saram daehaneuro giri bojeonhase
Roses of Sharon
Hibiscus syriacus
Hibiscus syriacus is a widely cultivated ornamental shrub in the genus Hibiscus. Common names include Rose of Sharon , Shrub Althea and Rose Althea.-Growth:...

 and Three thousand Li
Li (unit)
The li is a traditional Chinese unit of distance, which has varied considerably over time but now has a standardized length of 500 meters or half a kilometer...


of splendid rivers and mountains full;
Great Korean people, To the Great Korean way
stay always true!
2


Baram seori bulbyeonhameun uri gisangilse

so shall our resilient spirit.
Refrain
3


Balgeun dareun uri gaseum ilpyeondansimilse
The Autumn skies are void and vast,
high and cloudless;
the bright moon is our heart,
undivided and true.
Refrain
4


Goerouna jeulgeouna nara saranghase
With this spirit and this mind,
let us give all loyalty,
in suffering or in joy,
to the country's love.
Refrain

Copyright issues

Since the composer Ahn Eak-tae died in 1965, the copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...

 for the music will not expire at least until join Aegukka
Aegukka
"The Patriotic Song" is the national anthem of North Korea.-Etymology:"Aegukka" is also popularly referred to in North Korea by the first phrase of the song, "Ach'imŭn pinnara" or "Let Morning Shine".-History:...

. Two Korean professional soccer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...

 teams were sued by a copyrightholders' group for public playing of this song in December 2003. The composer's widow Lolita Ahn and her family then relinquished all rights to Aegukga to the Korean government on 16 March 2005. The lyrics, written in the 19th century, are in the public domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...

.

See also

  • Korean Empire Aegukga
    Korean Empire Aegukga
    The Anthem of the Greater Korean Empire was the first national anthem of Korea...

  • North Korean Aegukka
    Aegukka
    "The Patriotic Song" is the national anthem of North Korea.-Etymology:"Aegukka" is also popularly referred to in North Korea by the first phrase of the song, "Ach'imŭn pinnara" or "Let Morning Shine".-History:...

  • List of Korea-related topics

External links

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