Context: | north |
Hangul: | 당신이 없으면 조국도 없다 |
Hanja: | 이 없으면 도 없다 |
Rr: | Dangsini eopseumyeon jogukdo eopda |
Mr: | Tangsini ŏpsŭmyŏn chogukto ŏpta[1] |
"No Motherland Without You" (or "Ode to Kim Jong Il") is a North Korean song about the country's second supreme leader, Kim Jong Il. Composed by Hwang Jin Young and written by, it extols the proclaimed talent and virtues of Kim, and the North Korean people's loyalty to him.
"No Motherland Without You" was composed especially for Kim Jong Il and is considered his "signature song".[2] The song enjoys popularity in North Korea,[3] where it is frequently broadcast on the radio and from loudspeakers on the streets of Pyongyang.[4] Whereas the "Song of General Kim Il Sung" was sung at the beginning of public gatherings, "No Motherland Without You" was often at the end.[5] Since at least 1994 before the creation of the "Song of General Kim Jong Il" the song was played by the North Korean state television at the start of broadcasts each day.[6]
In military contexts the title "General" replaces "comrade," reflecting that Kim was Supreme Commander of the armed forces and Chairman of the National Defence Commission in addition to his political role as General Secretary of the Workers' Party.