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Conspiracy over flattened Korean national anthem

Posted September. 01, 2014 07:04,   

한국어

Original version of the Korean national anthem was composed in A major by Ahn Eak-tae. In the original version in A minor, the highest note is a high E. High E is a bit challenging for ordinary people to sing. Especially it is challenging for the youth as vocal chords of elementary students are not fully grown up, and voices of middle and high school students have not changed yet. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education currently provides the Korean national anthem in F major, which is flattened by two notes. In this version, the highest note is a high C. Most of ordinary people can sing a high C without having difficulties.

It is a good idea to flat the highest note in the anthem. But the problem is that lower notes are also flattened. The lowest note in the A minor version is C# but it drops to a low A in the flattened version in F major. Many notes are moved to a lower register and the song feels a bit slow and gloomy. A musician’s comment over the flattened national anthem evoked controversy. The musician said, “By changing the pitch, the Korean national anthem lost its spirit and sounds discouraging. I suspect a scheme behind it, which aims to put the anthem under political protest songs.” However, this argument turned out to be unfounded as the provision of A minor version of the Korean anthem was implemented by former Superintendent Moon Yong-rin, not incumbent Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon.

Conspiracy might sound far-stretched. Still, many people are against lowering pitch of the national anthem. The main melody of the national anthem is in the "Korea Fantasy," composed by Ahn. Opponents say that keeping A major will give the best impression since the composer made the song in A major. Although it is true, it cannot be the reason to insist A minor. The Korean national anthem was composed as chorus included in a modern symphony. It would be a doctrinaire attitude to force ordinary citizens to sing the pitch as composed.

Anyone who has sung the national anthem in the original pitch agrees on the necessity to lower the pitch. Even so, it is questionable why the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education lowered the song by two notes. Lowering just one note would make it in G major, a tone in which the ordinary people sing easily. In this case, the highest pitch is high D while the lowest is low B. This is a quite comfortable register for most people to sing. Most of the national anthem sheet music for sale is in G major. It does not feel as discouraging as the F major version and gives cheerful mood as in A major.