Korea’s liberation on August 15, 1945, brought about a decisive turn in the destiny of its people, women in particular.
The Korean women were mistreated and humiliated shackled to the ages-old fetters of feudalism and under the Japanese military rule, but they were born again in liberated Korea as new persons with beautiful dreams and ideals.
Commenting on a change in the life of the Korean women, Rodong Sinmun newspaper dated July 27, 1947, wrote: 4 488 women have been elected member of the people’s committees at all levels and 24 to the People’s Assembly, the supreme organ of the people’s power. And 13, 4 and more than 100 women are working for judicial organs as judges, public prosecutors and assessors, respectively.
The Law on Sex Equality promulgated on July 30, 1946 put an end to the tear-soaked history of contempt for women and gave women as equal rights to learn and work as men. Many songs were created reflecting the changed life of women.
Song of Women is one of them.
Written by Ri Won U, the song sings of the reality of Korea after its liberation in which women were playing their part in the struggle to build a new country and calls upon all the women to rally more closely around Comrade Kim Il Sung with one patriotic mind. As it dealt with the most essential and important issue in the destiny and life of women, the song became an instant hit among women across the country as soon as it was made public.
Those days many moving anecdotes arose. Whereas a former kitchen maid was elected to a people’s government organ, an illiterate woman learned how to write and wrote a letter to Kim Il Sung . Ordinary workers and peasants grew up to be heroines, revolutionaries and innovators who devoted their all to the country and people.
One day in April 1948 when he met creators and artistes of the Korean People’s Army Song and Dance Ensemble, Kim Il Sung highly praised Kim Ok Song who put music to the above song as a violinist and toasted him, saying: You have a creative talent. You’d better become a composer than play the violin. And I wish you would become a good composer beloved of the people and service personnel.
Kim Il Sung was particularly fond of songs created shortly after Korea’s liberation including Song of Women .
As it vividly represents through a soft, gentle and emotional melody the historic change in the destiny and life of the Korean women and their patriotic zeal for the building of an independent, sovereign country, the song is still widely sung by the Korean people.
Yang Ryon Hui
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