This is the song the members of the Dongshim Society are singing in Snowdrop EP02 when Chang-soo gets the news that Operation Phoenix has gone sideways. I wasn’t familiar with the song and so assumed it was somehow associated with the Hanahoe — it isn’t. In fact, along with the army song ‘The Last Five Minutes’ (최후의 5분), ‘To the Front We Go’ is arguably one of the most the most widely-recognised South Korean army songs.
When Jung Hoon-guk of the Ministry of National Defense conducted a contest for military & battle songs in 1980-1981, ‘To the Front We Go’ was selected as an honorable mention in the military song category. It’s often sung by the ROKA and ROK Air Force, to the extent that it’s pretty much impossible for Korean men to get through their mandatory two years of military service without encountering the song.
Interestingly, unlike many other South Korean army songs, there’s no mention of a specific enemy (usually North Korea) in its lyrics, keeping with the spirit of the Snowdrop synopsis which poses the question of whether or not it’s all right for North and South Koreans to live forever estranged from one another. It also focuses on the bond between those who fight beside one another rather than concepts like patriotism and loyalty to one’s country. So, perhaps an odd choice for the Dongshim Society (aside from them being mostly KMA alumni and military types), but it echoes a quieter message within the story the drama tells.
(1981)
Composition: Choi Chang-gwon | Lyrics: Woo Yong-sam
전우여 들리는가
jeonu-yeo deullineunga
Oh, soldier, do you hear
그 성난 목소리
geu seongnan moksori
Those furious voices
전우여 보이는가
jeonu-yeo boineunga
Oh, soldier, you do you see
한 맺힌 눈동자
han maechin nundongja
[The] wrathful eyes
n.b. ‘wrathful’ is ‘han’ (恨) which can mean either ‘deep sorrow’ or ‘resentment/wrath.’
높은 산 깊은 골 적막한 산하
nopeun san kipeun gol jeogmaghan sanha
Towering peaks, deep vales, desolate mountains and streams
눈 내린 전선을 우리는 간다
nun naerin jeonseon-eul uri-neun ganda
We go to the front where snow has fallen
젊은 넋 숨져간 그 때 그 자리
jeolmeun neoks sumjyeogan geu ttae geu jari
The place of that time where young souls were lost
상처 입은 노송은 말을 잊었네
sangcheo ibeun nosong-eun mal-eul ijeonne
A wounded old oak has forgotten speech
전우여 들리는가
jeonu-yeo deullineunga
Oh, soldier, do you hear
그 성난 목소리
geu seongnan moksori
Those furious voices
전우여 보이는가
jeonu-yeo boineunga
Oh, soldier, you do you see
한 맺힌 눈동자
han maechin nundongja
[The] wrathful eyes
푸른 숲 맑은 물 숨쉬는 산하
pureun sup malgeun mul sumshwineun sanha
Verdant forests, crystalline waters, respiring mountains and streams
봄이 온 전선을 우리는 간다
bom-i on jeonseon-eul uri-neun ganda
We go to the front where spring has arrived
젊은 피 스며든 그 때 그 자리
jeolmeun pi seumyeodeun geu ttae geu jari
The place of that time, saturated with young blood
이끼 낀 바위는 말을 잊었네
ikki kkin bawi-neun mal-eul ijeonne
A moss-covered stone has forgotten speech
전우여 들리는가
jeonu-yeo deullineunga
Oh, soldier, do you hear
그 성난 목소리
geu seongnan moksori
Those furious voices
전우여 보이는가
jeonu-yeo boineunga
Oh, soldier, you do you see
한 맺힌 눈동자
han maechin nundongja
[The] wrathful eyes
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