hankyoreh

In a new milestone for North-South relations, young South Korean music artists have produced an album of popular North Korean songs that is fully legal under copyright terms for circulation in South Korea.

Produced jointly by an organization promoting economic exchange with Pyongyang and UB Entertainment, the album includes renditions by ten South Korean artists, including Vibe, Maya, Bae Seulgi, and Baby Box Rev. It will be titled Dongin and is set to be released June 7.

Popular North Korean songs like Bangapseumnida ("Pleased to meet you.") and Whiparam ("Whistle") were included in various albums on the market following the North-South summit of 2000, but this becomes the first time an entire album has been released following a legal contract with the concerned parties in North Korea.

Dongin means "my own image as reflected in the pupils of another." In addition to Bangapseumnida and Whiparam, the album contains a total of ten songs, including Simjange Namneun Saram ("The One Who Remains In My Heart"), Urineun Hana ("We Are One"), and Nae Nara Jeillo Joa ("My Country's The Best"). Artists use the talent they are known for among South Korean fans and sing the North Korean songs to tunes with tones of rock, bossa nova, and jazz.

North Korea's copyright agency is a new office created under the direct supervision of its cabinet. The organization that jointly produced the album is headed by Uri Party member of the National Assembly Im Jong-seok and received exclusive authority for dealing with North Korean copyright issues in South Korea in 2005.

An official with UB Entertainment said the artists on the album will hold concerts in North and South Korea when there is more civilian exchange between the two sides in the months between June and August.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]