Spring is an exciting time for both the young and the old. Balmy breezes, warm sunlight, and assorted flowers inspire people to look for new love or deepen their affection for their loved ones. What would you like to do for your loved one? Well, we can see an example from pansori Chunhyangga춘향가. In the story, Lee Mong-ryong이몽룡 keeps offering food to Chunhyang. He offers her a slice of ripe watermelon made even sweeter by pouring honey found only in Gangneung, delicious fruits like cherries or grapes and even candies, a rare treat at the time. It turns out all these are sweets, perhaps indicating Mong-ryong’s sweet feelings for Chunhyang. Let’s listen to Lee Bong-geun singing “Love Song” from “Chunhyangga” accompanied by crossover band Second Moon.

Love Song / Sung by Lee Bong-geun, performed by Second Moon

There are many factors to consider when you date or marry someone. Some people think one’s personality is the most important, while some look at educational background or financial stability. Oftentimes, it is hard for two people who grew up in totally different environments to understand each other and oftentimes they end up fighting over trivial issues. In “Chunhyangga,” Chunhyang didn’t simply accept Mong-ryong’s affection. When Bangja방자, Mong-ryong’s manservant, told Chunhyang about his boss’s lofty social status, Chunhyang wasn’t that impressed. Instead, she told Mong-ryong that a butterfly should come to see the flower, not the other way around, implying that he should come court her himself. Wolmae월매, Chunhyang’s mother, who learned of Mong-ryong’s courting of her daughter, became worried about the young girl’s future. Wolmae had been a gisaeng, a female entertainer, and according to the law of the time, a gisaeng’s daughter was bound to become a gisaeng herself. Wolmae did all she could to raise her daughter properly, but to the rest of the world, Chunghyang was simply a gisaeng’s daughter. Wolmae also knew exactly how a low-born girl would end up – abandoned by a nobleman lover and living in poverty. So before Wolmae allowed Mong-ryong to meet her daughter, she made him promise that he would not break up with the girl. But lo and behold, Mong-ryong bid Chunhyang goodbye as he left for Hanyang to study for the government exam. Wolmae must have been crestfallen to hear the news. The following song was inspired by the pansori passage describing Wolmae’s heartbreak. This is a dance music version of “Chunhyangga,” sung by Seo Jin-sil and DJ Miso.

Chunhyangga / Sung by Seo Jin-sil and DJ Miso

The story of Chunhyang and Mong-ryong has seen many adaptations and different interpretations over the years. If Chunhyang’s chastity and unshakeable faith in Mong-ryong were the main subject matters in the past, these days Mong-ryong is labeled as an inconsiderate and irresponsible brat, while Chunhyang is seen as a woman who makes her own future. During the Japanese colonial period, master singer Lim Bang-ul임방울 gained popularity with “Ssukdaemeori쑥대머리,” one of the songs from pansori “Chunhyangga.” Ssukdaemeori, which means disheveled hair, describes Chunhyang’s condition after she was imprisoned for refusing the town magistrate’s advances. Ordinary Koreans who had to suffer through the merciless Japanese colonial rule must have identified themselves with the faithful girl’s plight. When Lim Bang-ul’s heartfelt singing was added to it, it was only natural that the song became a long-standing hit. Today’s people especially like the modernized version of “Ssukdaemeori,” with which we’ll conclude today’s episode of Sounds of Korea. Here’s Park Ae-ri singing “Ssukdaemeori.”

Ssukdaemeori / Sung by Park Ae-ri