The national anthem of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is The Patriotic Song .
It was composed by Kim Won Gyun (January 2, 1917-April 5, 2002), winner of Kim Il Sung Prize, Labour Hero and People’s Artist who composed the immortal revolutionary hymn Song of General Kim Il Sung .
Before Korea’s liberation from the Japanese military rule (August 15, 1945), he was an odd-job man in the lowest stratum of society who would tar tinned roofs.
The national liberation gave him a hope and dream and provided him with an opportunity for cultivating his talent.
Experiencing the stirring events in the days of one year after liberation, he keenly realized that General Kim Il Sung was the great Sun of the nation who saved the destiny of Koreans in a miserable plight of a ruined nation, and that his was the genuine embrace of the fatherland.
Boundless respect and fascination for, absolute trust in and ardent loyalty to the leader inspired the ordinary 29-year-old young man to compose Song of General Kim Il Sung as an all-people hymn and famous song with a form of march.
The country honoured him with a title of composer. He believed the title as the expectation and trust of people for creating famous pieces singing of the great leader and the advancing country all his life.
So, one year after the creation of Song of General Kim Il Sung , he composed a solemn and weighty melody of the national anthem reflecting the feelings of people following the great leader, their love and devotion for the prosperous country and their wish for the future of the country.
Much water has flown under the bridge and the generations have been replaced several times, but the national flag of the DPRK is fluttering in the clear, blue sky and the solemn melody of The Patriotic Song is reverberating through the country.
Kim Won Gyun composed many famous pieces like March of Korea (1945), March of Democratic Youth (1947), Our Supreme Commander (1951) and Shine, the Workers’ Party of Korea (1980), while working as vice-chairman of the Central Committee of the Union of Musicians of Korea and the chairman of the National Music Committee of Korea.
The artistic talent training base of the country is named Pyongyang Kim Won Gyun University of Music and Dance.
Yang Ryon Hui
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