압록강절·제국 노동요·식민지 유행가－그림엽서와 유행가 「압록강절」을 중심으로

Abstract

「Orokukou-bushi(鴨綠江節, Aprokgangjeol」 written by Japanese shows an aspect of popular songs (new folk songs) which were at the peak of their popularity in the 1920’s to 30’s in adult entertainment districts, gramophone records, or radio broadcasts in Korea, Manchuria, and also Japan. It mainly deals with the pain, hardships, longing, and parting of Korean, Manchurian, and Japanese wood workers engaged in logging and raft transportation around Baekdusan and Aprokgang, their families and lovers, or women working in adult entertainment districts. These songs depicting the beautiful scenery and mood of Baekdusan and Aprokgang, however, are not just popular songs dealing with their sentiments merely. They focus on wood workers’ delightfulness and sense of responsibility and praise the greatness of the Japanese Empire and wish for its prosperity while expressing aggressively colonial (sub)consciousness about the backwardness of Chosun and Manchuria contrastive to that. These characteristics are faithfully included in some books, many albums, and picture postcards about 「Aprokgangjeol」 issued by the Japanese Empire with its cultural capital. But the problem is the fact that to the singing, mood, and popularity of these songs, Chosun people also contributed enormously. Female singers who were also a gisaeng either sang 「Aprokgangjeol」 in Japanese just as it was or in combination with Chosun’s folk songs. Of course, in a sense of making it ‘Chosunized’, lyricists and composers created several pieces of ‘Aprokgang songs’ that went well with Chosun people’s mind and sentiment. However, they still failed to be freed from the influence or shade of 「Aprokgangjeol」 that was excessively influential then. Yet, fortunately, the meaning of colonialism found in 「Aprokgangjeol」 came to be set off to some extent due to military songs about ‘Aprokgang’ sung by Chosun’s army for national independence. The situation is represented by 「The Aprokgang March」 contained in elementary school music textbooks from the 2000’s. However, if we give too much value to it in this age that is far from the time and space of colonialism, it may reversely work as riskiness to sink the song into either chauvinistic nationalism or patriotism. Therefore, it is an important task to consider the context of treating others and pursuit of 「Aprokgangjeol」 (Japan) and ‘Aprokgang Songs’ (Chosun) sung passionately by different groups of people for the sake of their own ideology and sentiment.