"Aegukka" (Korean: 애국가; say: eh-GООK-gah), officially translated as "Patriotic Song", is the national anthem of North Korea. To celebrate the country's independence from Japan, it was written by Pak Se-yong and composed by Kim Won-gyun, then it was adopted in 1947 shortly after.
It should not be confused with South Korea's national anthem, which has the same name but uses a different romanisation scheme. It is sometimes also known by the first bit of the song, "Achhimŭn pinnara" (아침은 빛나라), meaning "Let Morning Shine".
Lyrics
Korean original (Chosŏn'gŭl)
Romanization (McCune–Reischauer)
IPA transcription (narrow)
English translation
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 𝄇
Ach'imŭn pinnara i kangsan
Ŭn'gŭme chawŏndo kadŭkhan
Yi sesang arŭmdaun nae choguk
Panmannyŏn oraen ryŏksaë
𝄆 Ch'allanhan munhwaro charanan
Sŭlgiron inminŭi i yŏnggwang
Momgwa mam ta pach'yŏ i Chosŏn
Kiri pattŭse 𝄇
Paektusan kisangŭl ta anko
Kŭlloŭi chŏngsinŭn kittŭrŏ
Chilliro mungch'yŏjin ŏksen ttŭt
On segye apsŏ nagari
𝄆 Sonnŭn him nododo naemirŏ
Inminŭi ttŭsŭro sŏn nara
Hanŏpsi puganghanŭn i Chosŏn
Kiri pinnaese 𝄇
Shine bright, you dawn, on this land so fair,
This world, my beautiful homeland
So rich in silver and in gold you are,
Five thousand years of your history.
𝄆 Our people ever were renowned and sage,
And rich in cultural heritage,
And as with heart and soul, we strive,
Korea shall forever thrive! 𝄇
And in the spirit of Mount Paektu,
With the love of toil that shall never die,
With a will of iron fostered by the truth,
We'll lead the whole world by and by.
𝄆 We have the might to foil the angry sea,
Our land more prosperous still shall be,
As by the people's will we strive,
Korea shall forever thrive! 𝄇