August 15 this year marks the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from the Japanese military occupation.

It is therefore very significant to celebrate the birthday of President Kim Il Sung (April 15, 1912-July 8, 1994) who liberated the country.

Eight decades is a moment in Korea’s thousands of years-long history. In this period, however, the country underwent tremendous changes unprecedented in human history. There are a lot of songs dealing with the great years, with Song of General Kim Il Sung at the top of the list.

The three-stanza immortal revolutionary paean written by Ri Chan and set to music by Kim Won Gyun in 1946 reflects the Korean people’s boundless respect and admiration for, absolute trust in and burning loyalty to Kim Il Sung , in the historic period when they greeted him in the liberated country. With buoyant, reverent and solemn melody and plain language, the song praises the glorious revolutionary history of Kim Il Sung and his immortal revolutionary exploits in an extensive and intensive way.

At the foot of Moran Hill in the central part of Pyongyang, the capital city of the DPRK, there stands the Arch of Triumph, built in April 1982, with the first and second stanzas

1. Bright traces of blood on the crags of Jangbaek still gleam,

Still the Amnok carries along signs of blood in its stream.

Still do those hallowed traces shine resplendently

Over Korea ever flourishing and free.

So dear to all our hearts is our General’s glorious name,

Our own beloved Kim Il Sung of undying fame.

2. Tell, blizzards that rage in the wild Manchurian plains,

Tell, you nights in forests deep where the silence reigns,

Who is the partisan whose deeds are unsurpassed?

Who is the patriot whose fame shall ever last?

So dear to all our hearts is our General’s glorious name,

Our own beloved Kim Il Sung of undying fame.

The song represents the exploits of Kim Il Sung who led the 20-year-long anti-Japanese revolutionary war to victory, winning back his lost country, and the meaningful events in the early days of building a party, country and army after the liberation.

Singing the song, the Korean people followed the road of victory, overcoming all challenges including the Fatherland Liberation War (June 25, 1950-July 27, 1953), post-war rehabilitation and others in the subsequent years.

The song has also widely been sung by foreigners. Whenever the April Spring Friendship Art Festival was held in Pyongyang to celebrate Kim Il Sung ’s birthday, the participating foreigners sang the song more than other songs.

The song is one of the most famous songs in the country as it represents in a deep and truthful way the ennobling ideological sentiments of the Korean people who hold Kim Il Sung in high esteem.

Encouraged by this song, the Korean people will continue to vigorously advance towards the goal of building a powerful socialist country under the leadership of the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un .

U Jong Hwan