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A Tragic Story of Kim Woo Jin and Yun Sim Deok
"The Hymn of Death"

This lovestory of Kim Woo Jin and Yun Sim Deok is very popular in Korea, and was adopted in a lot of films and dramas.

Hymn of Death tells the true story of Simdeok and Woojin, and the tragedy that follows starred by Shin Hyesun and Lee Jongsuk.

Simdeok and Woojin met in 1921 in Japan. Simdeok was the first Korean to study in Tokyo Music School and met Woojin who was an English literature student.

Because of her beauty and talent, Simdeok was loved by Japan and Korea, and became the first professional soprano. She made her debut as a soprano in 1923.

On the other hand, Woojin formed a drama troupe and the tragedy falls when he went back to Korea to do the tour ans eventually follows his father's request.

The two fell madly in love but it was forbidden in their case. Woojin was a married man because of the arrange marriage set by his father.

Woojin just wanted ro have freedom in his country and freedom from his father's orders and expectations (fully pressured by the Japanese ruling).

Their story gives you a snapshot of what life was like in the 1920's in Korea under Japanese occupation, and how Koreans were oppressed in Japan and even in their own country.

Simdeok then recorded her album in 1926 at Osaka and requested to include a Korean song titled "The Hymn of Death (사의 잔미). It also marked history as the first Kpop song.

On August 04, 1926, the two jumped into the dark sea from a passenger ship that was headed back to Busan. Both were 29 years old.

The news of their death became a sensation in both Korea and Japan. Simdeok's album sold about 100 thousand copies. The last word of the singer comforted the nation who was frustrated by the reality of a culturally-deprived home country.

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That's all for today!
See you in my next class.