As part of efforts to introduce a well-known Korean folk song to global audiences, a competition on “Miryang Arirang” is being organized by Miryang City and the Miryang Cultural Foundation.

“Miryang Arirang” is one of the three major versions of “Arirang,” along with “Jeongseon Arirang” and “Jindo Arirang.”

Although the date of its creation is unknown, records show that “Miryang Arirang” was sung at marches by independence fighters during their military campaigns against the Japanese in the 1920s.

In 2012, “Miryang Arirang” was registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The competition has three categories – creative music, academic paper and video.

Foreigners and Koreans of all ages can enter the competition by submitting their works online.

For the music category, applicants can create their own “Miryang Arirang,” interpreted in a traditional way.

Academic works should be submitted in the form of a scholarly paper, with topics that revolve around “Miryang Arirang” and UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The video category accepts short-form style videos on “Miryang Arirang.”

Works must be submitted by July 11. Application forms are currently only in Korean, and can be downloaded from the Miryang Cultural Foundation’s website. All works can be submitted in Korean or English, including academic papers.

The final winners will be announced July 19, and will be given certificates and prize money of up to 5 million won ($3,900).

In addition, the top three winners in the creative music category will be given a chance to participate in the upcoming “Miryang Arirang” album project. Scholarly article winners will be eligible to present their studies at an international conference on “Arirang,” expected to be held during the second half of the year.

By Kim Hae-yeon (hykim@heraldcorp.com)