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The Minjung-Gayo (Hangul: 민중가요; Hanja: 民衆歌謠) is one of  Korean modern singing culture, which has been used as musical means of pro-democracy movement. It was mainly enjoyed by the people who are critical of mainstream song culture in the process of democratization movement. The term of Minjung-Gayo was naturally coined by people in the mid-1980s. Since this was the period when protest songs were grown rapidly and the singing movement began, It was needed to take care of protest songs, a new term that could be used to differentiate them from popular songs was necessary. In a broad sense, The Minjung-Gayo includes the anti-Japanese song on Japanese colonial era which is continued to the early 1970s. But Generally, the Minjung-Gayo means the culture which is matured in the late 1970s and lasted in 1990.

The Concept of Korean Protest Songs (Minjung-Gayo)

Korean protest song called Minjung-Gayo reflects the will of crowd and voices of criticism of the day. Korean protest song has emerged on 1980s, especially before and after of the June Democracy Movement in 1987.

Korean Protest Songs Before 1980s

The starting point of Korean protest songs is the music culture of Korean students movements around 1970. With criticizing about pop music or overcoming, It’s started that their own unique music culture having certain coriander layer and own existing method distinguished with pop culture. a few songs called as ‘Demo-ga’ (demonstration songs) and others from 1960s was chosen as ‘Minjung-Gayo’ (Korean protest songs). There’re ‘Haebang-ga(Hanguel : 해방가)’,‘ Tana-Tana’, ‘Barami-bunda'(Hanguel : 바람이 분다), ‘Stenka Razin’ an so on. After 1975, another songs like ‘Hula-song’, ‘Jungui-ga’ was added in the list.

Through the era of an emergency measure, the atmosphere of Korean universities was getting stiffer. Students who participated in the students' movements had to be prepared to die and they were required to have much stronger faith and actions. Students who participated in students’ movements became to be critic against old social systems as well as pop culture which we the result of old social system so that they started to pursue progressive and political culture. Spreading the criticism against pop music, a series of certain music culture which had such unique criticism of university students was established and it's the base of Korean protest songs.

Korean Protest Songs in 1980s

The short 'Spring of democracy' before May, 1980 coming after 10.26 situation in 1979 was such a big opportunity to show the protest songs hidden by a few students to many students in public demonstrations. the organizers of demonstrations was spreading papers that the lyrics and sheet music was written on in continued demonstrations and in this period, the most of demonstrations were started to make the atmosphere with learning the songs.

The main stream of Korean protest songs in 1980's could divided in 3 period. The first period is the establishment of the protest songs. It is the period that many songs composed as marching song with minor like 'The March For Her' (Hanguel : 임을 위한 행진곡) were being written and the number of the songs were increased massively from 1980 to 1984.

The second period started with young men fresh just out of college, who had engaged in music club. They perform a concert the story of song "Eggplant Flower(Hanguel : 가지꽃)" in Aeogae little theater by lending the name of theater "Handurae(한두레)". In this period, music has taken a part of social movement.

The third period is after the Democratic uprising in June, 1987 and the first regular performing of 'People seeking music' held in Korean church 100th anniversary memorial in oct, 1987 after the great labor conflict in Jul, Aug, Sep, 1987. In this period, they were trying to figure out how could they overcome limits that 'the music movement in universities' had and find new ways that they should be on. After successive The great labor conflict in July to September, protest song reflects the joys and sorrows of workers'. After going through this period, protest song embraces not only the intellectuals but also the working-class population.

Korean Protest songs After 1990s

From the middle of 1990s, since the social voices of the students demonstrations and the labor demonstrations started getting decreased, Korean protest songs has lost their popularity in many other fields except the struggle scenes. it's the period that the music groups in universities and the professional cultural demonstration groups started trying to change the form of Korean protest songs and trying new things. but It was not easy to change such generalized form of the music into  the new wave.

in 2000s, from the memorial candle demonstration for the middle school girls who were killed by U.S Army's tank to the demonstration against importing mad cow disease beef from U.S, such people participatory demonstration culture started being settled. In this period, the songs not having such solemn atmosphere like 'Fucking USA', 'The first Korean constitution' were made, but the influence still could not spread wide and only stayed in the field

Representative Artist

Min-ki, Kim

Born in Iksan-si, Jeonlabuk-do, He moved to Seoul before he was in primary school. From He made a group named 'Dobidoo' when he was in Seoul Univ, he started writting music. At that time, He met Heeuen, Yang who was his primary school friend and gave her song named 'Morning dew'<아침 이슬>, it was released in 1970. In 1972, he was arrested for singing songs 'We will win'<우리 승리하리라>, 'Freedom song'<해방가>, 'The child blowing flowers' <꽃피우는 아이> and so on and all of his song prevented from broadcasting. After he got out from Korean army, he wrote Heeuen, Yang's song 'Like the pine needles in wild grassland' <거치른 들판의 푸르른 솔잎처럼> and also wrote the song named 'The light in the factory' <공장의 불빛>.

'People who're finding songs'

'People who're finding songs'[노래를 찾는 사람들] is the music group writing Korean protest songs in 1980~90s (known as 'Nochatsa'[노찾사]). There're many demonstrations against the Korean military dictatorship around Korean universties in 1980s, and since then, lots of protest songs has been written by the students in those universtities. Korean protest songs [hangul : 민중가요 Minjung-gayo] reflected the reality of the period different from typical love songs so they wouldn't expect comercial success from the songs. However, the group's albums were actually comercially successful and have left footprints in Korean pop music history. 'Meari' from Seoul univ, 'Norea-erl' from Korea univ, 'Hansori' from Ehwa women univ, 'Sori-sarang' from Sungkyunkwan univ and etc were particepated in the group