“Hahn” is a Korean word that does not have a direct translation, but it is a word
that describes the people and the history of Korea. As a 28-year-old Korean American
female, the best way I can translate the word is struggle, suffering, and lament of the
hardships that Koreans experienced. The struggles that Koreans have gone through are
similar to those of other cultures and at the same time unique to Korea. One of the many
struggles that Korea faced is common to all cultures-war. Korean culture and music have
been shaped by the wars and invasions it has endured. The two resulting impacts on
Korean culture were: 1) “Hahn”, and 2) the ability to integrate new ideas into the culture
without losing the old. This paper will discuss how this history influenced Korean folk
music, especially how the folk song “Arirang” expresses “Hahn”. It will also clarify
some of the misconception of “Arirang” in hopes that music educator may have a better
understanding of the Korean culture and its folk music as a result. In order to do so, we
must examine the history of Korea.