Poet Ko Un's voice will resound across the Incheon Asiad Main Stadium at 6:00 p.m. on September 19 during the opening ceremony for the Incheon Asian Games 2014.

The anthem for the 17th Asiad, where visitors will, "Meet the Future of Asia," was specially produced under the direction of poet Ko Un, soprano Sumi Jo and composer Kim Yeong-dong.


Give a song
It's a day we can't stop singing
Give a song
For the Asia for millenniums
For the Asia that has millennium-long wisdom
Give a song

Following Ko's recitation of his poem "Asiad Song," whose words were also used as the lyrics of the anthem, soprano Jo will sing along with the Incheon Philharmonic Orchestra and lead the Incheon Metropolitan Citizens Choir. Jo's high-pitched tones will be perfectly balanced with the other musicians on stage.

Composer Kim, known for popularizing Korean traditional music, will give the audience the chance to hear the nation's traditional rhythms and melodies.


"Arirang Fantasy," the song that will follow the reading of "Asiad Song," will include the harmonious sounds of the traditional double-reeded bamboo piri, the large bamboo daegeum flute, the traditional 12-stringed gayageum zither and the two-stringed haegeum fiddle, all adding to the voice of the orchestra.

"Arirang," perhaps Korea's most popular folk song, will be performed, too. The song's regional variations have been introduced onto the global stage many times and soprano Jo will sing "Arirang" in the styles of Gangwon, Jindo and Bonjo, going at twice the standard tempo. Instead of the original sad melody, she will put on an enthusiastic performance for attendees at the Incheon Asian Games.

Lim Kwon-taek, a renowned film director in charge of the ceremony, said that, "The opening and closing ceremonies of the 2014 Incheon Asian Games will make an impression on the tourists, as it will be an opportunity to experience Korean emotion through Jo's song which is based on Ko's poems."

By Lee Jeong-rok, Lee Seung-ah
Korea.net Staff Writers
jeongrok@korea.kr