Ahead of the 74th anniversary of the Korean War, a new song cycle has been published to commemorate the fallen spirits and lingering pain of the war. Hahn Myung-hee, the lyricist behind the beloved Korean art song "Bimok" (Wooden Epitaph), has compiled a series of poems inspired by the Korean War and the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas into a poignant collection titled “Thus the DMZ Speaks: A Song Cycle in Memory of the Korean War Dead.” “Bimok” (1969) has been an iconic song for Koreans especially during the month of June, when the country honors its veterans and patriots through memorial services and ceremonies.
The lyrist wrote the lyrics based on his military service as a guard post commander on the mid-slopes of Baegamsan, Gangwon Province. The area was a major site of the Battle of Kumsong, one of the last battles of the Korean War, fought shortly before the ceasefire in July 1953. “It is unfortunate that tens of thousands of youths perished on the battlegrounds there,” Hahn, 85, told The Korea Herald, on Wednesday, over the phone.
“Also, there is no doubt that ‘Bimok’ was born in the lingering dust of war amidst the beautiful nature in the mountains of Gangwon Province,” recalled Hahn. “Ever since that time, the lush green of June has been entrenched with a dismal sense of grief in my mind. They say that nature is beautiful when the grass and tree are green, just as life is beautiful when you are young.
” Hahn was posted to the Gangw.
