In the year 2008, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Korea has set up a policy to bring up the Korean cultural contents, using the widespread acceptance of ‘arirang’ especially in Japan and China, where ‘arirang’ comes to a close second to ‘gyeongguk’ of China and ‘gabuki’ of Japan. Promoting ‘arirang’ as a Korean cultural content is anticipated to be more significant and wiser rather just confining it into a cultural heritage of Korea. While reproducing ‘arirang’ as a Korean cultural content, the focus should have to be on the ‘native arirang’, i.e. the ‘arirang’ of the native Koreans. But at the same time, ‘arirang from different regions, which also enjoy the same cultural importance, should be treated with proper attention. Because in the field of cultural tourism, whether it is regional festivals, theatrical performances or Korean classical opera, the local form of ‘arirang’ has always been more welcome rather than the original Korean ‘arirang’. Furthermore, more attention is wanted on ‘arirang’, which has been a long nurtured cultural heritage in overseas Korean society. ‘arirang’ as a base to the Korean migratory culture has its sheer importance as it tells the world about the universal emotions of the Korean race.
Based on the above perceptions, I’ve taken ‘Cheongju arirang’ as the subject of this study, which has been widely transmitted to the Yanbian Korean autonomous prefecture, Domun city, Ryangsujin, Killim Province, Jeongam village of China. I’ve also set the development of cultural tourism contents as the objective of this study. For an expected result, a parallel research work has been performed based on both pure and applied humanities. To be more precise, while looking into the true compositions, history, cultural values and related cases of ‘Cheongju arirang’, especially its practical use in cultural contents, a pure humanities-oriented approach has been adopted. On the other hand, applied humanities has been assumed in order to develop the model and plans for the development of cultural tourism contents. The outcomes of the study can be stated as follows.
First, I've gone through a comparative analysis between ‘Cheongju arirang’ and the ‘native arirang’ in order to get rid of the suspicion whether the ‘Cheongju arirang’ actually exists. ‘Arirang’ emerges and transmitted among the working class or as a pastime song that has gone through variations in rhythm and narration but has never disappeared itself. We can confirm the narrative of ‘Cheongju arirang’ from the ‘namudeungjip sori’, ‘sijipsari nore’, ‘arirang’ etc. Each of them has adopted some important characters or events from ‘Cheongju arirang’ and tells them in a modified manner.
Before confirming the existence of ‘Cheongju arirang’, I’ve studied the transmission process of it, bearing in the mind the ethnicity and north-east centered domicile of ‘arirang’. This study shows that ‘arirang’ had originally been a matter of contempt and ridicule until the movie ‘arirang’ came in 1920, directed by Naun gyu and propagated throughout the country, which once again reflected the ethnicity lain in ‘arirang’. Besides in the 1930s the mass migration toward the north-east China resulted in the move of language and social customs alongside. Thus ‘arirang’ had also become a part of this cultural migration. This study also confirms the village of migrants, situated by the Duman river valley as the place where ‘Cheongju arirang’ had originally been transmitted. Not only among the 1st generation but also in the 2nd and 3rd generations, ‘Cheongju arirang’ had been confirmed to be widely transmitted. The narrative of ‘Cheongju arirang’ exhibits emotions, desires, wit through the mouth of a lady narrator which is quite identical with the emotions of villagers of Jeongam, which in turn is believed to be one of the many reasons for a tenacious vitality of these people.
Second, introducing the existing cultural contents of ‘Cheongju arirang’ as an independent structure, I've analyzed the significance, outcomes and also the limitations of it through ‘media study’ as a cultural critic. As for publications, 『Duman Gang-e Chungcheong-do Arirang』contains the history of migration of ‘Cheongju arirang’. ‘Cheongju arirang’ is not only the songs that draw the self portrait of the whole Korean race, but also at the same time as a historic nonfiction it focuses on the migration of people to ‘Jeongam village’, which in turn also illuminates the history of migration of Koreans to China. The disappearing original sound of ‘Cheongju arirang’ by the 1st generation immigrants has been contained through digital records. Although the primary objectives of preserving the original ‘Cheongju arirang’ has been done duly, we still need to work more for the resuscitation of the originality of this cultural heritage.
Films like〈Gando arirang〉and〈Gando arirang, part 2〉focus on the lives of Jeongam villagers and also the present situation of ‘Cheongju arirang’. They also give us a clear and concrete idea about the establishment of Jeongam village, villagers’ lifestyles and also the transmission process of ‘Cheongju arirang’ through 3D images. Plays like〈Ijyeojin gwihyang-e sori- Jeongamchon-e Cheongju arirang〉 or〈Hweyeon-ijyeojin gwihyang-e sori Cheongju arirang〉highlight the transmission of ‘Cheongju arirang’ in a profound way. Over years ‘arirang’ has touched peoples’ heart and soul with its double-edged storyline, that shows the weary of life and also at the same time how to dissolve it with humor and amuse. We can also witness this double-edged face of ‘arirang in other cultural contents produced, based on ‘arirang’.
Third, I've extracted the prototype of ‘Cheongju arirang’, going beyond the educational or artistic dimension of it, assuming ‘arirang’ as the future cultural icon for Korea. At the beginning the people from Jeongam village had accepted this traditional culture to bring forward their lives to the world, in the lights of the actual social circumstances. It should be taken into account that the Jeongam villagers had reproduced the ‘Cheongju arirang’ with its different variations that reflects the then society as well. I've also focused on the original dispositions of ‘Cheongju arirang’, which has been transmitted to Jeongam village by its own villagers, comprehending it in the light of potentiality and significance of the original one. It can be easily said that, ‘Cheongju arirang’ can play an important role in the expansion of cultural tourism throughout the world, bearing in mind the example of the success of Korean folk song ’minyo’, which has also been promoted as a valuable cultural tourism resource.
Assuming the cultural tourism value of ‘Cheongju arirang’, I’ve examined the presence of it outside Korea in order to understand its potential for the development of cultural tourism contents. In Travelogues about Yanbian prefecture, we see that the travelers preferred to recognize this region as a place resided by Koreans. Thus we can bring forward Yanbian region as a prospective tourism concept, based on its universal recognition. I've also gone through field study that emphasizes on the fact that ‘Cheongju arirang’ with its background of transmission to Jeongam village, its villagers' passion and strive to protect it as their material as well as abstract cultural inheritance and also the travelling course of Yanbian prefecture surrounding Baekdu mountain prove the cultural tourism approach a simple and fascinating one.
Fourth, from a consolidated viewpoint, I've set up a development model for the cultural tourism contents of ‘Cheongju arirang’. For this purpose, I have assumed a few facts as bases, such as the growing interest in cultural tourism in the government level of Yanbian Korean prefecture, the ongoing effort to understand the cultural characteristics of Korean-Chinese through arirang, the tenacious patronage from Chungcheongbuk-do for Jeongam village and also the possibility of a prospective development in the cultural tourism sector in Jeongam village. For a concrete consolidation, I've proposed the unification in the inner and outer cultural resources of Jeongam village, jeongam village cultural resources and the cultural tourism of Yanbian prefecture and also an unification in existing cultural contents and new discoveries in the field of ‘Cheongju arirang’ with the development model of cultural tourism contents and last but not the least, the unification of the subjective and the objective matters of cultural tourism contents. This unification model will help tourists grasp a clear understanding about the specialty and significance of Jeongam village, experience the abstract cultural asset of ‘Cheongju arirang’ and revive emotions while absorbing it in one’s heart.
Under this planned unification, we can introduce special and professional touch for a more developed cultural tourism contents such as exhibition on ‘arirang’ about its background and present days[Arirang Exhibition Museum], ‘arirang’ related theatrical performances[traditional Korean ballad, farm music], experience ‘arirang’ program[village stay], Taking part in ‘Cheongju arirang’ infrastructure[experiencing traditional food, chances to buy souvenir]etc. to give a subjective and experiential taste to everyone. A special tourist attraction package can be introduced keeping jeongam village in the centre, while watching the scenic beauty of surrounding Baekdu Mountain, Duman River, and the frontier areas etc. where the visitors get a chance to experience the vibrant lifestyle of Koreans in a foreign land, understand their feeling and emotions, get a glimpse of the historical and cultural relics, and also taste their food while looking into their traditional culture. Also launching websites and publishing literatures relating ‘Joseon culture, Corporate assistance in the development of historic village and to establish network for Joseon traditional cultural tourism is expected to play an important role in the development process of cultural tourism contents. I also propose for a joint collaboration between Jeongam village, Yanbian University and Domun city with Jeongam association and Chungbuk National University, which will help strengthen the cultural bridge and also prove beneficial in the development of cultural tourism contents.
Resuscitating ‘arirang’ as the icon of Korean cultural heritage, we can develop the cultural contents with the help of its cultural recognition. From this viewpoint, the process of development of the cultural tourism contents of ‘Cheongju arirang’ can be considered as the revelation of Korean cultural heritage and also at the same time a creative process of appraising a new cultural asset. In order to achieve the goal in the development process of cultural tourism contents of ‘Cheongju arirang’, all the corresponding authorities like Ministry of Culture & Tourism, Korean Tourism Corporation, the academic institutions and research wings should participate and work jointly with the authority of Yanbian Korean Autonomy Prefecture to make it a great success. This study with its methods and outcomes is supposed to be greatly advantageous hereafter for the development of other Korean traditional folk culture such as Korean folk song [minyo], Korean fables [salhwa], muga, pansori etc. in a comprehensive manner. The limitations of this study can also be overcome in this process.