Konghuin is a lyrical folk song created in Ancient Joson between the 5th and 4th centuries B.C. and Kongmangmu is a folk dance done to the tune of Konghuin .
The following is the story of how the song was created.
One early morning when Kak Rijago, a boatman of Ancient Joson, came to a ferry to cross the river, he happened to see a grey-haired old man walk into the raging river. Soon his wife came to the site and begged him to come out. However, the old man did not listen to her but drowned himself to death. Very sad, the wife sang Kongmudohaga in a pathetic voice while playing the konghu (a kind of traditional Korean stringed instrument). After finishing the song, she also threw herself into the river.
After returning home, the boatman told his wife Ryo Ok what he had witnessed. Then he sang the song the old man’s wife had sung before her death. Soon afterwards Ryo Ok re-played the song with the konghu, and the song was so touching that people who heard the song shed tears. She taught the song and its rhythm to her neighbour Ryo Yong. Later the music was named Konghuin and widely propagated.
Folk dancers created a tender and emotional dance to the melody of the song, and the dance was called kongmangmu .
Konghuin and kongmangmu are musical and dance pieces created in the early days of human history of the world.
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