The Korea Times
With a successful comeback performance at the historically iconic Gwanghwamun Square in March following the completion of their military service, Korea’s proud cultural ambassadors, the members of BTS, are embarking on a global tour across major cities around the world. Everyone hopes their music will captivate audiences worldwide while further promoting Korea’s rich cultural heritage. Their performance was anchored on "Arirang," a traditional folk song imbued with the soul of the Korean people. In fact, "Arirang" had long been transmitted orally without a fixed musical notation. It was Homer B. Hulbert, an American educator and missionary, who first transcribed the melody into Western musical notation and recorded its lyrics. Through his 1896 article, “Korean Vocal Music,” he introduced "Arirang" to the world, making a decisive contribution to its popularization and globalization. Without his efforts 130 years ago, "Arirang’s" rise to its present stature might well have taken considerably longer. Hulbert’s contributions were not limited to "Arirang." In the same work, he t
Go to News Site