There is a tune, called ‘얼씨구야’ [əɭɕikuja], that any visitor of South Korea will be able to recognize. It is the subway music used throughout the nation, and because an overwhelming portion of South Korean citizens depend on public transportation, the tune is most definitely well-known. There is only one tune used in the subway system at a time, and for the first time in 14 years, it has recently been changed to a new tune. The change in music was talked about briefly throughout social media as this familiar tune was let go.
But what made this song nominable of its 14 year use was its genre of Korean tradional music. The composer of the song says it is a combination of numerous traditional styles to create an upbeat tune. The song uses haegeum, a string instrument, daegeum, a bamboo flute, gayageum, a korean plucked zither, and the janggo, a traditional drum. All these instruments were introduced to Korea in the Silla dynasty and/or the Goryo period, and are illustrious of Korea’s past and culture. Korean traditional music itself has multiple genres, such as Jeongak, which is a mix of vocal and instrumental, Pansori, which is mostly vocal, and Sanjo, which is mostly instrumental.
The small attention this topic has gained caught my attention, and while it was fun and educational to learn about, in terms of language learning, it has just introduced to me to numerous terms about Korea’s musical history. While I can’t say I learned much linguistically, now I know what these words mean.
Comments
I think it's really cool Korea plays music on the subway. That definitely makes the ride much more enjoyable. I remember riding a subway in New York very glum and depressing. Music would have definitely changed the mood of the subway ride. Also, it's really cool that Koreans care that much about music.