One of the most famous trot musicians in South Korea, Ha Chun-hwa, acquired an associate degree from KU. She then gained a bachelor’s degree from Korea National Open University. Afterwards, she received a master’s degree in fine arts at Dongguk University, and a doctorate in Confucian Studies and Eastern Philosophy at Sungkyunkwan University.
As a prestigious private institution in Gyeongsang Province, KU has made great strides to foster student innovation under the education ideology of “Truth, Liberty, and Creativity”. The number of graduates of KU goes beyond 140,000, and each of them are applying above ideology in real life; especially Ha Chun-hwa. Not only is she one of the most well-known alumni from KU, she is also the best person to exemplify KU’s ideology by creating her own harmony, rhythm, and melody that she expresses through her life experiences. Her amazing achievement can be attributed to her desire to always develop academically; meaning she continues her studies even after her successful career.
To the people living in Masan, the following lyrics from the song “It Rains in Masan Harbor” will sound familiar because she expressed and conceptualized them based on the beauty of Masan: “Take me to the island called Dotseom, I want to see him, Where is he? Gapo or Manaljae? Mt. Muhak, you should know where he is.” On June 11, the song on her 60th Anniversary Album was released in collaboration with the songwriter Lee Ho-seop, who was born in Uiryeong Gun, Geyongsnagnam-do and spent his younger days in Masan. In a recent interview with Gyeongnam News, she stated “I came to know that many people from Masan feel bad about the city’s absorption into Changwon. I saw many of them being touched and even crying after listening to this song.”
She has beautiful memories in Masan. For example, she once requested the KBS TV show ‘Love on the Air’ to find her No.1 fan who she lost contact with amid her music career. She later revealed this fan is her No.1 fan among those living in Masan because of the close bond they shared together. At the conclusion of the show, Ha Chun-hwa found her dear fan and mentioned how important her experiences and their friendship were to both of them.
Another example is her reaction towards the integration of Changwon, Masan, and Jinhae. She used to say in interviews with various newspapers that she has been feeling a little sad about Masan’s incorporation into Changwon along. For that reason, she wanted to write a song that can relieve the sorrow of the people who have lost the name of Masan, their precious and affectionate hometown.
She also has a deep relationship with KU, largely in part to her graduation from KU. On October 26, 2016, she attended the Fall Music Concert, held at Mi-rae Gwan, to celebrate the completion of the building Chang-jo Gwan. The event was impressive and wonderful enough to make all the audience dazzled with her beautiful voice and exciting melodies, especially while she was performing some of her original songs like “My Father is a Crewman,” “A Swimming Bird” and “Yeongnam Arirang.” She also attended the inauguration of the 11th president of KU, held on February 14, 2019, where she showcased, once again, her fascinating and exciting music.
If you are one of the graduates of KU or have beautiful memories of Masan, I strongly recommend you to listen to the song “It Rains in Masan Harbor.” The exciting but somewhat mournful melody and lyrics of the song will invoke strong emotions as you remember your time in Masan.
