National Anthem Comparison
North Korea vs South Korea
2
Shared themes
✗
Different moods
40
40 years apart
✓
Same continent
Comparison Analysis
North Korea and South Korea, both Asia nations, take distinct approaches to their national anthems. North Korea's "Patriotic Song" was written in 1947, while South Korea's "Aegukga" dates to 1907.
Both anthems share themes of nature and resilience. North Korea additionally explores prosperity, ancestors / heritage and identity, while South Korea also touches on love of homeland and god / faith.
The emotional tones differ: North Korea's anthem is proud, while South Korea's is solemn.
South Korea's anthem predates North Korea's by 40 years, having been written in 1907 compared to 1947.
Shared themes
North Korea
🌿 Nature 💪 Resilience 🌾 Prosperity 🏺 Ancestors / Heritage 🏛 Identity
South Korea
🌿 Nature ❤ Love of homeland 💪 Resilience ✝ God / Faith
Shared themes:
🌿 Nature 💪 Resilience
Metadata
| North Korea | South Korea | |
|---|---|---|
| Written | 1947 | 1907 |
| Adopted | 1947 | 1948 |
| Lyricist | Pak Se-yong | Yun Chi-ho or Ahn Changho (debated) |
| Composer | Kim Won-gyun | Ahn Eak-tai |
| Language | ko | ko |
| Region | East Asia | East Asia |
Lyrics Side by Side
North Korea
애국가
Original
아침은 빛나라 이 강산
은금에 자원도 가득한
이 세상 아름다운 내 조국
반만년 오랜 력사에
찬란한 문화로 자라난
슬기론 인민의 이 영광
몸과 맘 다 바쳐 이 조선
길이 받드세
백두산 기상을 다 안고
근로의 정신은 깃들어
진리로 뭉쳐진 억센 뜻
온 세계 앞서 나가리
솟는 힘 노도도 내밀어
인민의 뜻으로 선 나라
한없이 부강하는 이 조선
길이 빛내세
Translation
Let morning shine on these rivers and mountains,
Full of silver, gold and resources,
My fatherland, beautiful in this world.
With a long history of five thousand years,
Grown in a brilliant culture,
This is the glory of a wise people.
Devoting body and soul to this Korea,
Let us uphold it forever.
Embracing all the vigour of Mount Paektu,
With the spirit of labour dwelling within,
A firm will, united by truth,
Shall advance ahead of the whole world.
With surging strength that pushes back even raging waves,
A country founded by the will of the people,
This Korea, growing boundlessly rich and strong,
Let us make it shine forever.
South Korea
애국가
Original
동해물과 백두산이 마르고 닳도록
하느님이 보우하사 우리나라 만세.
[후렴]
무궁화 삼천리 화려강산
대한사람 대한으로 길이 보전하세.
남산 위에 저 소나무 철갑을 두른 듯
바람서리 불변함은 우리 기상일세.
[후렴]
가을 하늘 공활한데 높고 구름 없이
밝은 달은 우리 가슴 일편단심일세.
[후렴]
이 기상과 이 맘으로 충성을 다하여
괴로우나 즐거우나 나라 사랑하세.
[후렴]
Translation
Until the East Sea's waters are dried, and Baekdusan worn away,
God protect and preserve our nation, ten thousand years.
[Chorus]
Three thousand li of splendid rivers and mountains,
Filled with Rose of Sharon, great Koreans, let us forever preserve our great land.
As the pine atop Namsan stands firm, unchanged through wind and frost,
As if wrapped in armour, so is our resilient spirit.
[Chorus]
The autumn sky is void and vast, high and cloudless,
The bright moon is our heart, undivided and true.
[Chorus]
With this spirit and this mind, devoting all our loyalty,
In suffering or in joy, let us love our country.
[Chorus]
Interesting facts
North Korea
- 1. North and South Korea both called their anthems 'Aegukka' (Patriotic Song), though the music and lyrics are entirely different. In 2024 North Korea dropped the shared name, a move read as part of Kim Jong Un's policy of treating the two Koreas as separate states
- 2. Unusually for North Korea, the anthem makes no reference to the Kim dynasty or the Workers' Party of Korea
- 3. The anthem references Korea's legendary 5,000-year history, a claim shared by both North and South Korea
- 4. In February 2024 a line of the first verse was changed: 'three thousand ri', a traditional name for the whole Korean Peninsula, was replaced with 'this world'
South Korea
- 1. Composer Ahn Eak-tai wrote the melody in 1935 while studying in the United States, and it was first performed at the end of that year at a Korean church in Chicago. He later settled in Spain and returned to Korea only in 1955, for the first time in 25 years.
- 2. The anthem references Mount Baekdu, which actually sits on the North Korean-Chinese border, meaning South Korea's anthem celebrates a mountain it has no territorial access to.
- 3. No South Korean law formally designates Aegukga as the national anthem: it holds that status by custom.
Listen
North Korea
South Korea
