Arirang

"Arirang" (Korean: 아리랑) is a Korean folk song, often considered as the unofficial national anthem of Korea.

In December 2012, South Korea's submission of the song was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity program by UNESCO. This was followed by the Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea's announcement of a five-year plan to promote and preserve the song. The plan supports "Arirang" festivals by regional organizations with the purpose of building an archive for the song, promoting research grants, holding exhibitions, and so on. The song's first translation into singable lyrics in nine languages was performed in December 2013.

North Korea also submitted the song to the Intangible cultural heritage list and their submission was inscribed in 2014.

Etymology

Many versions of the song start by describing the travails encountered by the subject of the song while crossing a mountain pass. "Arirang" is one name for the pass and hence the title of the song. Some versions of "Arirang" mention Mungyeong Saejae, which is the main mountain pass on the road connecting Seoul and southeastern Gyeongsang Province during the Joseon Dynasty.

Sungha Jung

Sungha Jung (Korean: 정성하) is a South Korean musician who specializes in acoustic fingerstyle guitar. He is also popularly known as Prince of guitar. His YouTube channel currently has more than 3 million subscribers. Jung creates acoustic covers and arrangements, typically by ear and/or by watching videos, and has original music, which he plays and uploads online. He was nicknamed the "Guitar Prodigy" and the "August Rush" in Korea, though he prefers to be known as a 'guitarist' rather than a 'guitar prodigy'.

Biography