Arirang

Arirang, lyrical folk song in the Republic of Korea
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage
Song So-hee performing "Arirang"
Country	Republic of Korea
Reference	445
Region
Inscription history
Inscription	2012 (7th session)

Arirang folk song in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage
A man about to depart on a journey through a mountain pass is seen off by a woman in a scene from the Arirang Festival in North Korea.
Country	Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Reference	914
Region
Inscription history
Inscription	2014 (9th session)

"Arirang" (Korean: 아리랑) is a Korean folk song, often considered as the unofficial national anthem of Korea.

In December 2012, South Korea's submission of the song was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity program by UNESCO. This was followed by the Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea's announcement of a five-year plan to promote and preserve the song. The plan supports "Arirang" festivals by regional organizations with the purpose of building an archive for the song, promoting research grants, holding exhibitions, and so on. The song's first translation into singable lyrics in nine languages was performed in December 2013.

North Korea submitted the song to the Intangible Cultural Heritage list and their submission was inscribed in 2014.

Many versions of the song start by describing the travails encountered by the subject of the song while crossing a mountain pass. "Arirang" is one name for the pass and hence the title of the song. Some versions of "Arirang" mention Mungyeong Saejae, which is the main mountain pass on the road connecting Seoul and southeastern Gyeongsang Province during the Joseon Dynasty.

There are a number of passes called "Arirang Pass" in Korea. One of them is in central-northeastern Seoul. This particular pass, however, was originally called Jeongneung Pass and was only renamed Arirang in 1926 to commemorate the release of the film Arirang. Older versions of the song long predate the movie.

Arirang Pass (아리랑 고개) is an imaginary rendezvous of lovers in the land of dreams, although there is a real mountain pass, called "Arirang Gogae," outside the Small East Gate of Seoul.

The heroine of the story from which the Arirang song originated was a fair maid of Miryang. In fact, she was a modest woman killed by an unrequited lover. But as time went on, the tragic story changed to that of an unrequited lady-love who complained of her unfeeling lover. The tune is sweet and appealing. The story is recounted in "Miss Arirang" in Folk Tales of Old Korea (Korean Cultural Series, Vol. VI).