Korean-American singer-songwriter Zoe Yungmi Blank.



By Dong Sun-hwa



"I hope people do not forget the tragedy behind national anthem," said Zoe Yungmi Blank, a Korean-American singer-songwriter. She will sing Korea's national anthem "Aegukga" on the 100th Anniversary of Korean Independence Movement Day at the Seodaemun Prison in Seoul.



"When I sing Aegukga, I will bear in mind the background of its composer Ahn Eak-tai (1906-1965)," Blank told The Korea Times, Thursday. "I learnt he was not yet pro-Japanese and did not work for the Nazi Party when he composed the song in 1935, but later, he seemed to have succumbed to colonial power after losing hope to stand against it."



She began digging into Ahn's background after being invited by Funday Korea Networks, an organization that promotes Korean culture, to sing the anthem for the upcoming March 1 event. She referred to the research of Lee Hae-young, a professor of international relations at Hanshin University, who published a book on Ahn titled, "The Ahn Eak-tai Case: A Study of the Symbol of the Anthem" in January.





Aegukga's composer, Ahn Eak-tai. Korea Times file