National Library of Korea Unveils "Provisional Government Welcome Song" from 80 Years Ago Using AI for the First Time

Sheet Music Discovered Amid Historical Archives
Exhibition "Sounds of Liberation, Captured by AI" Opens

To mark its 80th anniversary, the National Library of Korea will, for the first time, release the sheet music for the "Provisional Government Welcome Song," which was performed at the 1945 Provisional Government welcoming ceremony. The library will also showcase a restored version of the song using artificial intelligence (AI) technology as part of the exhibition "Sounds of Liberation, Captured by AI."

Sheet music for the Provisional Government Welcome Song. Provided by the National Library of Korea

The exhibition will be held from November 11 to December 31 on the third basement floor of the Digital Library at the National Library of Korea. It features two main themes: "Reliving the Emotion of That Day Through Sound" and "The Library's First Footsteps." Through AI-powered content, visitors can vividly experience the emotions of the liberation period.

The first theme, "Reliving the Emotion of That Day Through Sound," will unveil the "Provisional Government Welcome Song" sheet music for the first time. This sheet music, published in the December 17, 1945 edition of Joongang Newspaper, has never been released by any other institution, making its debut particularly significant.

Based on this sheet music, the National Library of Korea has used AI technology to restore the melody of the song-previously known only for its lyrics-after 80 years. The exhibition will also feature an AI-interpreted audio podcast, presented in an interview format, based on the Voice of America's Korean-language broadcast announcing liberation. Additionally, it will present the "Aegukga" composed by Ahn Eak-tai, which the Korean Independence Association distributed for free after liberation.

The second theme, "The Library's First Footsteps," will showcase AI-powered content such as an audio recording of the National Library's opening article from the October 15, 1945 edition of Maeil Shinbo, and a video adaptation of the "Librarians' Daily Log" written by librarians at the time. The exhibition will also display a variety of materials, including the 1945 record "Taps for Private Tussie," known as a precursor to today's audiobooks.

Kim Heesub, Director General of the National Library of Korea, stated, "This exhibition is more than a display of simple records; it is a special attempt to reintroduce forgotten 'history' to the public, serving as part of the effort to piece together important puzzles of our modern and contemporary history. Going forward, the National Library of Korea will continue to discover valuable historical records and actively share and utilize them in collaboration with related institutions."

The exhibition is open to everyone free of charge without prior reservation, and related materials can also be found in the announcements section of the National Library of Korea's website.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.