중국에서 아리랑의 역사적 존재 양상― 「기쁨의 아리랑」에서 「새 아리랑」까지

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to historically clarify the role of Arirang and how it has been changed and recreated while Koreans in China form their ethnic and cultural identity. Based on existing literature, this study also used Arirang and local interviews that the researcher obtained during the field investigation to Yanji, Longjing, and Antu in Yanbian from June 18th to 25th in 2015. Although ‘ethnicity’ and ‘nationality’ were contradictory for Koreans in China, they imagined ethinicity and formed their own identity through Arirang which is the cultural mechanism. The history of China’s ethnic-Koreans’ Arirang can be divided into two classes. One originated from 〈Bonjo Arirang〉, which was the theme song of the movie 〈Arirang〉, and connected to historical sufferings like the separation and displacement of Korean ethnic groups, and their migration and settlement in China. The other one is 〈Arirang of Joy〉 which was created and sung by Korean Volunteers Army in the northern part of China before the independence of Korea. 〈Arirang of Joy〉 expresses the subjecthood of China’s ethnic-Koreans and their sense of reality during the period from the independence of Korea in 1945 to the establishment of Yanbian Autonomous Prefecture in the 1950s. 〈Arirang of Joy〉 reminds the narrative that they wandered around going through all the difficulties after leaving their hometown and homeland. Despite the sufferings and death threats, they did not lose the will to live and Entwurf towards the future, singing “We are going over Arirang Pass”. After they joined the revolutionary struggle, their ‘Pass of moan and death’ is changed to ‘Arirang Pass of joy and victory’. “The New World” that they dreamed of while singing 〈Arirang of Joy〉 is Joseon, which is symbolized by the national flag of Korea(Taegeukgi)-the national flower of Korea(Mugunghwa)-the whole land of Korea(three thousand li). However, verse 4 of 〈Arirang of Joy〉, which reminds of ‘Joseon’, was excluded from the lyrics when they get the land after land reform and established the People’s Republic of China. As Korean people independently made new livelihoods in China, they created and performed 〈New Arirang〉 expressing their hope and ambition for independent life. 〈Arirang of Joy〉 and 〈New Arirang〉 shows that their sovereignty and identity as ethic-Koreans and national-Chinese, and their own characteristic are not simply given to them, but achieved through Koreans’ ‘tears of blood’, solidarity, revolutionary ideal, and dedicational struggle. By creating and handing down Arirang, they share historical experiences and memories as ‘Koreans’, and they try to create their own values as ‘China’s ethnic-Koreans’ and establish themselves as ‘constructive’ subject.