Song of Happiness
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The "Song of Happiness" or "Warm Welcome Music" (Korean: 따뜻한 환영의 음악) is the entrance music of the leaders of North Korea. It has been played for all three of the past leaders, Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il and Kim Jong Un, whenever they enter or leave a public event.[1][2] Generally during their entrance, the crowd chants cheers of manse (만세), similar to the Japanese banzai salute.
When appearing at musical performances, separate brass bands of the Korean People's Army performed the piece during the time of Kim Jong Il and early-Kim Jong Un. Nowadays however, the entrance music is generally played by the ensemble performing, with all of the musicians looking directly at the leader whilst standing.[3] The piece has also been used to welcome dignitaries to Pyongyang for significant occasions, such as Moon Jae-in for the September 2018 inter-Korean summit, and Xi Jinping for the North Korea-China summit in 2019.
Lyrics
[edit]During the leadership of Kim Il Sung, the song was noted to have lyrics chanting "Long Live Comrade Kim Il Sung", however this was dropped after his death in 1994.[4]
| Korean official (Choson'gul) | Korean (Hancha) | McCune–Reischauer Romanization | English translation |
|---|---|---|---|
Sung: |
Sung: |
Sung: |
Sung: |
References
[edit]- ^ "North Korea 2012 Parade — Full Version". YouTube. 3 January 2013.
- ^ ""The 60th Anniversary of the Korean People's Army" (April 25, 1992)". YouTube.
- ^ "Supreme Leader Arrival Song". YouTube. 8 December 2020.
- ^ "40th Foundation Day of the Republic Parade". YouTube. September 9, 1988.
