Trot singer Song Ga-in participated in a video produced by the government in order to promote the national folk song “Arirang.”

The two-minute video clip co-produced by the Cultural Heritage Administration and the Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation was released on Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation’s YouTube channel Wednesday.

An English version of the clip is available on the channel as well.

Song appears in the video for some 30 seconds to sing “Arirang” and narrate a part of the video.

In the video, Song introduces “Arirang” as a song that “provides comfort and hope to humanity.”

Citing that there are over 3,600 versions of the song, she also explains that “Arirang” deals with “common themes that people all around the world face” under a “simple musical structure.”

“So, the song can be sung in almost any genre. This is why ‘Arirang’ is still loved worldwide,” Song says in the video.

The latter part of the video shows different music groups such as classic, indie, and rock bands, performing “Arirang” in their own styles.

“Arirang” is Korea’s representative folk song that has been recognized as an “Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity” by Unesco on December 2012.

“Arirang” is an ancient Korean word that holds no meaning, but in the past, the song was sung to express the people’s sadness during Japanese colonial rule (1910-1945).

Song Ga-in debuted in 2019 through reality television show Miss Trot.

Trot is an upbeat genre of Korean pop music that peaked in popularity from the 1950s to 80s.



BY LEE JIAN [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]