Storytelling in Song: “Come, People of God” feat. in Queen Seondeok

Promo for TV series Queen Seondeok (Mishil is 3rd from left)

 Introduction:

Like most South Korean historical TV dramas, the 62 episode epic The Great Queen Seondeok (선덕여왕, 2009, MBC) has an immersive soundtrack, which greatly contributes to the impact of its storytelling. Diverse music accompanies each hour-long episode, and supports an extensive dramatic range, enhancing moments of laughter, bouts of crying, and expertly choreographed battle scenes. More than just a backing track however, Queen Seondeok’s soundtrack at times takes center stage, reaching beyond the show to touch on the contemporary concerns and feelings of its Korean audience.

For this post, I’ll be looking at one song in particular from Queen Seondeok OST, which seized my attention when I first saw the show a few years ago: “Come, People of God,” or alternately, “The Sun, Blinds Moon.” We’ll see how it both accompanies and adds to a crucial moment in this Kdrama — marking a turning point right before the climax — and tells a story of its own. But first, I’ll include some background for the show and its plot (as it is lengthy and complex, I will keep its description as simple as possible; there will necessarily be some major spoilers).

 History & Story:

The Korean television series Queen Seondeok (Seondeok Yeowang) follows the (highly) fictionalized “story of Queen Seondeok who was born a princess, brought up among commoners, and overcame many trials to become the ruler of Silla,” (IMDb). To orient those who may be unfamiliar with Korean history, Silla (pron. “Shil-la”) was one of the three kingdoms of Korea’s Three Kingdoms period (57 BC – 668 AD); the events of this show are set primarily during its later years. During the reign of Queen Seondeok (pron. “Son-dock”), the unification of the Korean peninsula under Silla was begun in earnest, and the “impossible dream” of unification, bequeathed by a predecessor, is one of the themes of the show. However, Queen Seondeok begins with the initial triumph of the story’s main villain, Mishil — and she is the focus of the song I’ve selected.

 

 

Mishil is a powerful, ruthless, and intelligent woman, who, after the first episode, rules behind the throne for decades, and is the main source of Seondeok’s many “trials.” Mishil continually thwarts Seondeok’s attempts to revert sovereign authority to the throne, and connives to protect her position at all costs — but she only seeks to rule behind the scenes. Mishil has never dreamed of taking direct power for herself. That is, until Seondeok (at the time, still a princess) declares that she doesn’t plan to marry, and will accede her father to the throne and become “yeowang”: a ruling queen (lit. “female king”).

This takes Mishil by complete surprise, and leads to a period of uncharacteristic self-doubt and recalculation. Mishil leaves the capital on retreat without telling anyone, and this is where the highlighted song enters: “Come, People of God,” an opera-like ballad performed by Lee So-Jung (ROK, 2009, OST music by Lim Ha-young).

Korean version (feat. in the show) (ends ~2:00):

Role of the Song:

The sympathy this show fosters for its villain, Mishil, is one of it main strengths, and it is noteworthy that this (gorgeous) song was reserved until late in the show (around ep. 40), to highlight the turning point of the villain. This song plays the very important role of marking a major transition in the mindset of the antagonist, and signaling the beginning of the “endgame” of the main plot of the series. Mishil realizes that she has been thinking too small — she never dreamed that a woman could become “king.”

This opera-like song offers a perfect juxtaposition to a story moment where everything is in flux. Its dramatic and soaring melody, performed with the incredibly clear and full tone of Lee, accompanies the leisurely actions now taken by Mishil, increasing the viewers’ tension as we wonder what awful thing will happen next. Mishil is no longer predictable; she appears unconcerned that Seondeok is winning, and takes only two bodyguards (of emotional importance, but questionable loyalty) off into the mountains. The haunting quality of this melody, too, seems at odds with the calm of a retreat, and gives the viewer a very unsettled feeling. We are at a loss, and feel a bit like her panicked followers, who scramble around the capital, trying to find Mishil and a sense of direction. The first time I saw this, I was worried Mishil was going to commit suicide, admitting an ultimate defeat in the face of her competitor’s superior goals.

 

Mishil does, in fact, make a decision of this kind — she decides to play all of her cards in a showdown that only one can survive: it will be Mishil or Seondeok who rules Silla after this final act, cementing Mishil’s rule or destroying it.

As noted above, Mishil has been portrayed as a cunning but ultimately sympathetic villain — we come to understand that, though ruthless, Mishil “loves” Silla like her child. Mishil’s main fault, in Seondeok’s eyes, is that she does not have a grand enough vision for Silla, and her care is ultimately smothering and oppressive. Mishil tried to bury the “impossible dream” of unification, believing it unsafe for her covert power base, but Seondeok has been working to resurrect it and become its champion. Mishil recognizes at this time that Seondeok is right about this, too, and that Mishil could play this role, out in the open, as an official ruler: a triumphant “yeowang.” The open and soaring melody accents this breaking down of everything Mishil thought before — the broadening and intensifying of Mishil’s goals, to match Seondeok’s.

Social Commentary (additional meaning):

We may be wondering at this point what the lyrics mean, and what they have to do with this moment in the plot, as I’ve only described the relevance of the song’s aesthetic qualities, without reference to the words. Fortunately, there is an English version, which was released on the OST (performer & composer the same), so we can get a better idea of what Korean audiences experienced when watching this moment (though the English words don’t fit the melody as well, Lee’s masterful performance makes up for some awkward phrasing; her clarity of tone comes out even more):

English version (included on soundtrack) (ends ~2:00):

At first glance/listen, these lyrics appear completely unrelated to the story. In a loose way, perhaps their triumphalist tone and anachronistic Christian themes relate to Mishil vs. Seondeok: Mishil’s long and oppressive reign (winter, darkness) vs. the ascendant Seondeok (spring, the people of God). There is also an element of “fate” in the plot, which assists Seondeok in taking her rightful and historical place on the throne, which may relate to the words “we know God is on our side,” implying a sense of destiny.

However, there is more going on here than may be apparent with reference to the story alone. Understanding modern (2000s) South Korean culture and history can shed light on what is meant by a strangely Christian song in a Three Kingdoms period drama. The main clue is the line “This is the land God promised for us.” It refers not only to the historical unification under Silla, but reflects a yearning for the modern reunification of the peninsula. North and South Korea were artificially separated due to the aftermath of the Japanese occupation (1910–1945) and WWII; with the help of the USSR and PRC, North Korea ultimately became a communist state led by the Kim family, and South Korea became a “republic” with the help of the US (it became an actually free/democratic republic in 1987).

These two countries were divided because of outside forces, and have since grown apart; but the South Korean emotional and patriotic desire for reunification is still there (at least, it was in 2009, when the show aired*).

The Christian references in this song can additionally be seen as an assertion of self-determination, related to the splitting of the peninsula. While Christianity came from the West (the outside), it was embraced by individual Koreans even before missionaries arrived, and so is, in some ways, not viewed as an “intrusion,” but a native choice. Referring to Koreans as “people of God,” and including the call to action of “we must be the light of this world,” serve as additional symbolic resistance to the (anti-Christian) Japanese occupation. This is meant as a call for Koreans to work together to resolve the crisis (caused by outside forces) without further outside intervention — Koreans working for a united Korea, the “impossible dream.”

All of this amounts to a patriotic and sentimental song of surviving oppression, which calls for the reunification of the Korean nation in the land that “God promised for us.” The soaring and haunting qualities of this song work also to support these messages of resiliency, yearning, and hope at the same time that they support and juxtapose the important story moment of Mishil’s reevaluation in Queen Seondeok.

Conclusion:

This song seems to say that if historical Koreans could achieve the “impossible” before (unification under Silla), they can do it again (reunification of North and South). While it may in time prove that unification is truly an “impossible dream” that can only be lived in fiction (such as in shows like Queen Seondeok), this makes its expression no less important. “Come, People of God” resonates with unfulfilled desire, and speaks to the historical resilience of the Korean people in the face of oppression (whether under rulers like Mishil, or the Japanese), and this makes it truly a powerful and affecting song. Knowing now its social implications, this song resonates with me even more than it did upon first experiencing it in the context of the show.

*As a side note, North Korea declared near the beginning of this year that it would no longer be seeking peaceful reunification, which is a definite blow to the “impossible dream.” Recent polls in the South also reflect a decrease in sentimental ties to a united Korea, with a majority of respondents favoring a two-state solution. It seems that opinion has drifted in favor of stability, and an end to the uncertainty of the Korean War ceasefire; romantic notions of peaceful unification are beginning to appear untenable to the South Korean public. This makes shows like Queen Seondeok, and this highlighted song, even more poignant.

Sources:

 “[FICTION vs. HISTORY] ‘Queen Seondeok’ Adds Drama to Real Queen’s Life: The Hugely Successful TV Series Introduced the World to Korea’s First Female Leader.” Koreajoongangdaily.joins.com, 30 June 2019, koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2019/06/30/etc/FICTION-VS-HISTORY-Queen-Seondeok-adds-drama-to-real-queens-life-The-hugely-successful-TV-series-introduced-the-world-to-Koreas-first-female-leader/3064930.html.

“The Great Queen Seondeok [Seondeok Yeowang/선덕여왕].” IMDb, 5 May 2009, www.imdb.com/title/tt1547606/.

Jun, Bong. “North Korea Has Lost the ‘Unification Competition.’” United States Institute of Peace, 1 Feb. 2024, www.usip.org/publications/2024/02/north-korea-has-lost-unification-competition.

Lee, Chung Min. “A Peninsula of Paradoxes: South Korean Public Opinion on Unification and Outside Powers.” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 13 May 2020, carnegieendowment.org/2020/05/13/peninsula-of-paradoxes-south-korean-public-opinion-on-unification-and-outside-powers-pub-81737.

“Queen Seondeok (TV Series).” Wikipedia, 6 Apr. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Seondeok_(TV_series).

“Come, People of God,” (Korean version) Youtube, uploaded by gc68, 1 Apr. 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Dg_djLk4_8.

“Come, People Of God (Come, People Of God),” (English version), Youtube, uploaded by Sojung - Topic, 16 Feb. 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mPqIvsBG6Q.