IIAS | IIAS Newsletter Online | No. 26 | Theme Pop Music in Asia

Pop Musicin Asia Healthy Songs for the People In the late 1950s, South Korea's military government began to make great efforts to rule out anti-militarism and promote conscientiousness among the population. In order to deal with the threat posed by 'subversive' popular music, it imposed stringent censorship. As a counter measure, it began adding a moralizing song to potentially corrupting albums. From 1957 until the late eighties, a 'konjon kayo' (healthy song) became an obligatory supplement to pop albums released on cassette or record. Koreans have told me that, at first, in the 1970s, the songs were sung by separate performers, but that by the early 1980s, they were mostly performed by the named album artists.   * By ROALD MALIANGKAY Konjon kayo were usually short, lasting approximately one minute, and, presumably in order to make them stand out, they were sung in a tempo different from the other songs on the album. The characteristic music is best described as fast ppongtchak, a term commonly used to ridicule popular songs accompanied by the two-quarter 'trot' beat of a Western drum set. The words of konjon kayo did not fit well within this musical scheme. The songs advocated proper morals and nationalism or simply encouraged young people to study, or workers to work. The patriotic character of most of the songs is underscored by the very existence of a cassette tape titled Kun'ga mit konjon kayo moumjip ('Compilation of Military Songs and Healthy Songs'). This was brought out by Oasis (GS-636) in the mid-1980s, and by this time few people would have regarded the songs as having a nostalgic value, although few would have considered the compilation bizarre.   Kun'ga mit konjon kayo moumjip ('Compilation of Military Songs and Healthy Songs') ­ cassette cover. SOURCE: OASIS GS-636 (UNDATED, BUT PRESUMABLY MID-80S)   An example of a konjon kayo from 1988 is Shijang-e ka-myon ('When You Go to the Marketplace'). This song, recorded on Seoul Records SPCD-105, an album by the teen singer Lee Sun Hee, prescribes proper business practice in the market:   Sell correctly with a warm heart. When you buy trusting the human kindness that comes and goes, that is clean trade, Within a basket full of blossoming flowers, the big bunch of love that you take to the market.   (chorus) Ah! Let's build a bright and warm society.   Well-known konjon kayo included Kongbu hapshida ('Let's Study') and Non'gae, about an entertainment girl (kisaeng) of the same name who committed suicide in order to kill a Japanese general at the time of the Hideyoshi invasions in the 1590s. Although the composers and writers of the songs are usually known and credited, many konjon kayo, including Non'gae, were deliberately based on folksongs. The lyrics of 'Let's Study' are as follows:   What are you thinking of, sitting with your chin on your hands? Are you thinking of going to the mountains wearing a red T-shirt and blue jeans?   What are you thinking of, sitting there blinking? Are you thinking of going to the beach wearing white sandals and a broad-brimmed hat?   (chorus) No, no! You cannot do that.   You have an exam in three days. Aren't you afraid of the angry face of the teacher? Don't you have your notes in front of you? Let's study hard!   Konjon kungmin kayo 1 ('Healthy People's Songs 1') ­ cassette cover. ASIAN RECORD CO. LTD. ALC-991 (1981)   Most Koreans tell me that they were accustomed to turning over an album or hitting the fast-forward button as soon as a konjon kayo started. This, however, was not the case with 'Let's Study'. This song, written By Yi Songha, and performed by Yun Shinae, became a number one hit -- perhaps primarily with parents -- and prompted a string of additional songs about the joys of enjoying life as a teenager. Koreans today may find it hard to remember the exact lyrics of specific konjon kayo, but virtually everyone is able to remember the refrain of some of the songs. 'Andwae, andwae!' (No, no!) in Let's Study, 'Mom pach'yoso' (sacrificing herself) in Non'gae, and 'Najina pamina' (day or night) of Sarang-i taum-e ('Love Comes Second') can all be recalled easily. Two Koreans in their forties recently told me that listening to the songs still made them feel encouraged. Although they hastened to add that they considered the songs a funny part of the past, they still thought the songs gave them a feeling of support and of national pride. One can, therefore, never say that the songs were unsuccessful simply because Koreans did not enjoy listening to them. One does not need to be an active supporter of a cultural trend in order to adopt its values. Repetition -- and certainly these songs were repeatedly played everywhere! -- is the mother of taste. * Dr Roald H. Maliangkay completed his PhD on folksong preservation in Korea in 1999. He is lecturer at the Centre of Korean Studies, University of Leiden. E-mail: R.H.Maliangkay@let.leidenuniv.nl

   IIAS | IIAS Newsletter Online | No. 26 | Theme Pop Music in Asia