Song of the Independence Army
Song of the Independence Army (Korean: 독립군가) is a Korean-language military song associated with the Korean independence movement during the 1910–1945 Japanese colonial period. It is now considered to be one of the most widely known songs of the Korean independence movement in Manchuria.[1][2][3] Its lyrics were composed in the 1910s and its melody is borrowed from the American Civil War song "Marching Through Georgia".[4][5][2]
History
[edit]The song's lyrics were written in the 1910s[6] at the Sinhŭng Military Academy, where it served as the school's anthem. When the school closed under Japanese pressure in 1920, its alumni spread the song throughout Manchuria.[3]
Legacy
[edit]In South Korea, the song is sung to commemorate Korean independence activists.[4][5] In 2023, it was sung at a ceremony honoring the 80th anniversary of the death of Korean independence activist Hong Beom-do.[7] In 2024, it was sung at a ceremony honoring the 105th anniversary of the establishment of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea.[8]
In 2005, South Korean punk rock band Crying Nut made their own version of the song, as part of an initiative by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs that encouraged making modern versions of traditional Korean patriotic songs.[2] The Republic of Korea Army released a cover of the song on YouTube in 2018.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ [불후의 명곡] 10년차 밴드 '원위'...3.1절 특집 독립군 기리며 '독립군가' 열창. KBS 스타연예 (in Korean). 2025-03-01. Retrieved 2025-07-04.
- ^ a b c 권, 종술 (2015-08-10). 유튜브 음악산책 25. "독립문의 자유종이 울릴 때까지"… 크라잉넛 '독립군가'. Voice of the People. Retrieved 2025-07-04.
- ^ a b 권, 태호 (2024-08-14). 김경수 뒤에 숨은 윤 대통령 '광복절 특사'의 속뜻 [8월14일 뉴스뷰리핑]. The Hankyoreh (in Korean). Retrieved 2025-07-04.
- ^ a b [김건수의 음악이 말하네] 14. 크라잉넛 '독립군가'. Busan Ilbo (in Korean). 2018-10-04. Retrieved 2025-07-04.
- ^ a b c 여, 창용 (2015-08-12). '암살' 흥행 돌풍 속 대한민국 육군의 독립군가 화제. Segye Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved 2025-07-04.
- ^ 민, 경찬, 독립군가 (獨立軍歌), Encyclopedia of Korean Culture (in Korean), Academy of Korean Studies, retrieved 2025-07-04
- ^ 최, 예린 (2023-10-25). 홍범도 추모식에 대통령 화환 왔지만…흉상 문제는 입 '꾹'. The Hankyoreh (in Korean). Retrieved 2025-07-04.
- ^ 김, 의화 (2024-04-14). [문화 톡] 105주년 대한민국 임시정부수립 기념식에 다녀와서. 중도일보 (in Korean). Retrieved 2025-07-04.
External links
[edit]
- [200만뷰] 육군이 부르는 독립군가 on YouTube – Cover by the Republic of Korea Army