A study on the traditionalism of “trot” – Focused on Yi Nanyǒng’s “Tears of Mokp’o”

Abstract

Abstract In this paper, I explore the significance of Yi Nanyǒng’s contribution to the history of Korean popular music through her song “Tears of Mokp’o.” Using the data I gathered from surveys and interviews as well as a formal analysis of the song, I expounded on the perceptional changes of “Tears of Mokp’o” from a hybrid colonial song to an ethnic, national song. For this purpose, I structured this paper as follows: In the second section, I looked into the meaning and changes in trot spanning different periods, and investigated the current public sentiment toward trot. In the third section, I examined Yi Nan-yǒng’s life and her songs, as well as the public opinion of her works via survey analysis. Finally, I expounded on the traditionalism found in “Tears of Mokp’o.” Through these materials, we could delineate how trot shifted from a foreign song to a traditional one.