Music and Kim Jong Il

Music and Kim Jong Il

Kim Jong Il once said that music was his first love.

A musical prodigy, he had a lot of interests in music from his boyhood. The Embrace of My Motherland, Song of Best Wishes and several other works, which he created as a young boy, exemplified his musical gifts.

Entering Kim Il Sung University he created a song titled O Korea, I Will Add Glory to Thee, reflecting his determination and will to brilliantly carry forward the revolutionary cause pioneered by President Kim Il Sung, founding father of socialist Korea.
In the long period of leading the Korean people at the helm of the Party, army and state, he always attached importance to music, paying special concern to the development of musical art.
As a result, Korea greeted the Renaissance of the 20th century in operatic art and all other genres of its art and literature.a success that astounded the world. In the days of producing the revolutionary opera The Sea of Blood, which gained worldwide recognition as a new milestone in the development of opera, Kim Jong Il listened to 2 400-odd pieces of songs and selected 47 of them for the opera.

He adeptly employed the marvellous power and charm of musical art in administering his politics.

By the close of the last century, following the President's death, Korea faced severest ordeals due to the hostile manoeuvrings of the imperialist allied forces and the natural calamities that befell the country for several consecutive years. To inspire his people with confidence and courage the leader had many songs created and disseminated.

The State Merited Chorus served as a trumpeter to rouse the people to the struggle for the defence of socialism. They braved the difficulties singing aloud such songs as We Pledge, Hold High the Red Flag, Socialism Is Ours and We Will Defend the Leadership of the Revolution at the Cost of Our Lives.

I Will Become a Flower Heralding Spring is a song that reminds the Koreans of those trying years, because their leader used to sing it to himself on his way to military units on the front line, leaving behind cities and villages that were as dark as night for power shortage. He also sang this song when he decided on a costly project, though he felt his heart broken to see his people tightening their belts, as it would pave the way for the industrial revolution in the new century, ultimately for the socialist nation's prosperity. On such journeys of his Songun-based leadership to defend socialism the leader would sing this song time and again, especially the lyrics Nobody may understand me fully, but I will follow this road with hope in my mind, the words that bolstered his confidence in victory and made him more acutely aware of his responsibility for his country and people.

On the road of Songun, which no other statesman would dare take, Kim Jong Il was as valiant and stout as the military and other revolutionary songs that spread throughout the country in those years. These songs encouraged the Korean people to make a leap over the trials of history to the threshold of prosperity.

Song of Comradeship was one of his favourite songs, now much in vogue among the soldiers and people. As it sings of the noble comradely affection between revolutionaries and their indomitable faith through such lyrics as Boundless affection between comrades cannot be traded for gold and We must take the revolutionary road rain or snow, the song inspired in the army and people of Korea strong faith and will with which to follow their leader on the road of socialism
in any adversity, united behind him with a single heart.

Also popular among them is The Blue Sky over My Country, a song that was perfected as a work representative of the era under the leader's deep concern and energetic direction. It emotionally portrays the prestigious image of Korea as a fortress which even formidable enemy in the world dare not attack.

Many songs have been created in reflection of the new era when all the Korean people are making redoubled efforts to achieve national prosperity, and among them are Arirang of Prosperity, Higher and Faster and Break through the Cutting Edge.

The vibrant reality of Korea advancing victoriously with revolutionary songs is unthinkable apart from Kim Jong Il, who had a unique attachment to music and exploited its power superbly in administering his politics.

He was indeed an outstanding statesman in the political history of the world