Cho Yong-pil Return to Busan Port Trot Rock K-Music Heritage
Released in 1976 and becoming an immediate, massive hit, ‘Return to Busan Port (돌아와요 부산항에)’ by Cho Yong-pil is one of the most significant songs in modern Korean popular music history. It is the defining anthem of the city of Busan and marked the rise of Cho Yong-pil, the ‘King of Singers.’ Musically, the song pioneered the ‘Trot Rock’ genre, fusing traditional Trot melodies with Rock sounds, thus broadening Korea’s musical scope.
🎤 Resonance with Overseas Koreans (Jaeil Gyopo)
Return to Busan Port Historical Context Jaeil Gyopo Visits
The massive success of ‘Return to Busan Port’ was amplified by its deep resonance with the historical context of the time, extending far beyond musical appeal.
A Revitalized Sound for a New Era
- Pioneer of Trot Rock: Originally a slow Trot song from the early 1970s, Cho Yong-pil’s 1976 remake transformed it with a fast, cheerful disco rhythm and Rock elements. This fresh sound provided a shockwave to the Korean music scene and established the ‘Trot Rock’ trend.
- Reflecting the National Sentiment: The song’s popularity soared alongside the government’s initiative for Jaeil Gyopo (Koreans living in Japan) to visit their homeland. The lyrics were modified from addressing a lost lover to “Return to Busan Port, my beloved brothers and sisters,” deeply appealing to the sentiment of separated families and national reconciliation.
The Symbol of Busan
The song became an unofficial anthem for Busan City. Its popularity even crossed the sea, leading to Japanese cover versions by Enka singers, cementing its legacy as one of the earliest major Hallyu (Korean Wave) phenomena.
📝 Audio & Lyrics
| 꽃 피는 동백섬에 봄이 왔건만 형제 떠난 부산항에 갈매기만 슬피 우네 오륙도 돌아가는 연락선마다 목메어 불러 봐도 대답없는 내 형제여 돌아와요 부산항에 그리운 내 형제여 가고파 목이 메어 부르던 이 거리는 그리워서 헤매이던 긴긴 날의 꿈이었지 언제나 말이 없는 저 물결들도 부딪쳐 슬퍼하며 가는 길을 막았었지 돌아왔다 부산항에 그리운 내 형제여 | Although spring has come to the camellia-blooming Dongbaek Island, In Busan Port, from which my brother left, only the seagulls cry sadly. On every ferry boat circling past Oryukdo, I call out with a choked throat, but my brother gives no answer. Come back to Busan Port, my missed brother. This street I called out to, my throat aching with longing, Was the dream of long, long days spent wandering in my yearning. Even those waves, always silent, Crashed and saddened, blocking the path I was taking. I have returned to Busan Port, my missed brother! |
👑 The Cornerstone of the King of Singers, K-Music Heritage
Cho Yong-pil K-Music Heritage Representative Song
‘Return to Busan Port’ was the breakthrough hit that launched Cho Yong-pil from an unknown singer to a superstar and provided the foundation for him to become the ‘King of Singers’ through subsequent releases like ‘Changiui Yeoja (A Woman Outside the Window)’ and ‘Bilyun (Sorrowful Love).’ This song remains a crucial piece of K-Music Heritage, continuously sung and celebrated across generations.
🔥 Experience the great musical legacy of Korea through Cho Yong-pil’s ‘Return to Busan Port,’ a revolutionary hit that voiced the nation’s sorrow and hope amidst a changing era!
