"아리랑" | Arirang: Korean Reunification Song/ Korean folk song

is believed that "Arirang" originated in Jeongseon, Gangwon Province. "Arirang" as a term today is ambiguous in meaning, but some linguists have hypothesized that "ari" (아리) meant "beautiful" and "rang" (랑) referred to a "beloved one" or "bridegroom" in the ancient native Korean language. With the two words together, the term arirang meant "my beloved one".[6] This theory, supported by scholars such as Shin Yong-ha [ko],[7] bears the song's legend. According to the legend, the name is derived from the story of a bachelor and a maiden who fell in love while picking camellia blossoms near the wharf at Auraji (아우라지)—a body of water that derives its name from the Korean word "eoureojida" (어우러지다), which is closely translated to "be in harmony" or "to meet". During the Japanese occupation of Korea, it became a criminal offense for anyone to sing patriotic songs, including Korea's national anthem, so "Arirang" became an unofficial resistance anthem against Imperial Japanese rule.Korean protesters sang "Arirang" during the March First Movement, a Korean demonstration against the Japanese Empire, in 1919. Many variations of "Arirang" that were written during the occupation contain themes of injustice, the plight of labourers, and guerrilla warfare. It was also sung by mountain guerrillas who were fighting against the occupiers