Morning Dew (Korean song)

"Morning Dew" (Korean: 아침 이슬, "Achim Isul") is a South Korean protest song from the 1970s written by Kim Min-ki and sung by Yang Hee-eun.^[3][4][5] In 1971, the song was Kim Min-ki's debut in his album Minki Kim [ko],^[6][7] but Yang Hee-eun released it a month earlier. It was not intended to be a protest song, and belonged to the geonjeongayo genre.^[3][6] It has also been described as belonging to the genres of Korean ballad^[2] and T'ong guitar.^[8] The song was well received by both music critics and the public, youths in particular.^[9] Initially it won a government award (건전가요상, the Wholesome Song Award), and was considered a pro-government propaganda or "healthy" song, and played on the Korean radio under a cultural program supported by the government.^{[4][6][10][7]}

Soon afterward, it had inexplicably become a popular protest song among the pro-democracy activists in South Korea, particularly with students.^{[3][6][9][11][12]} Despite the song lacking an overt political message and being described as "full of resolve in spite of the sorrows of life's trials",^[13] its wording could be interpreted as "activists yearning for a democratic society",^[6] and critical of the 1972 Yushin Constitution.^[5] It has also been interpreted as critical of Americanization of Korean society.^[2] Also, in the lyrics 'A blazing red sun rising up over the graveyard', the sun is interpreted as Kim Il-sung, and the words rising red can be interpreted to mean communism. ^[14]

Subsequently, in December 1975, it was banned by government censorship of the Park Chung Hee regime.^[4][2][7][5] It was later also banned in North Korea.^[11][15] Copies of the album containing it were recalled and destroyed, and it was even prohibited to cover it.^[16] Kim Min-ki's school junior, Lee Soo-man, almost received disciplinary action after singing this song on a night stage in 1978.^[17] The song, composed in 1971, was one of the favorites of the pro-democracy students until the late 1980s (the other being another song by Kim Min-ki, 상록수, Sangnoksu, 거치른 들판에 푸르른 솔잎처럼, Geochireun deulpane pureureun soripcheoreom, lit. Evergreen). It was often sung during the events of the 1987 June Democratic Struggle.^[6] It has also been described as an anthem of the Korean pro-democracy movement^[16] and credited with starting the South Korean protest music.^[18]

The ban on the song was lifted following pro-democracy protests in 1987. It remained popular for some time afterward.^[6] It has been sung at political rallies as late as the 2000s.^[19]

The song has also been described as popular with North Koreans living in Japan (people affiliated with Chongryon).^[20]

Kim Min-ki brought the German musical Linie 1 to South Korea and adapted it, which became a huge hit. After learning about this, members of the Grips-Theater, a German original performance team, translated his song into German, visited South Korea in 2004, and gave it to him as a gift. The title is Morgentau.^[21]

• South Korean protest music

• "Morning Dew" on YouTube