Arirang
| UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage | |
An Arirang performance during the Arirang Mass Games in North Korea Song So-hee performing Arirang in South Korea | |
| Arirang | |
|---|---|
| UNESCO regional groupings | Asia and the Pacific |
| UNESCO information (North Korea) | |
| Reference | 914 |
| Inscription history | 2014 (9th session) |
| UNESCO information (South Korea) | |
| Reference | 445 |
| Inscription history | 2012 (7th session) |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 아리랑 |
| RR | Arirang |
| MR | Arirang |
| IPA | a.ɾi.ɾaŋ |
Arirang (Korean: 아리랑; pronounced [a.ɾi.ɾaŋ]) is a Korean folk song. There are about 3,600 variations of 60 different versions of the song, all of which include a refrain similar to "arirang, arirang, arariyo" ("아리랑, 아리랑, 아라리요"). It is estimated that the song is more than 600 years old.
"Arirang" is included twice on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list, having been submitted for inclusion first by South Korea in 2012 and then by North Korea in 2014. In 2015, the South Korean Cultural Heritage Administration added the song to its list of important intangible cultural assets.
The song is sung today in both North and South Korea and acts as a symbol of unity between the two nations, which are divided by the Korean War.