So what is Arirang, and why was it selected for these Olympics?
Arirang is a song that best represents the Olympic spirit of "peace" and "concord." It also speaks to the culture and spirit of Korean people.
Arirang was inscribed on the UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2012.
The folk song was shared among Korean people for more than 600 years. According to UNESCO, there are more than 3,000 variations of the song.
Emotions ranging from love to sorrow is reflected in its tune. The Jeongseon Arirang rendition that was performed in these Olympics is the only version that is designated as Korea’s cultural asset. It's named after the town from which it originated -- Jeongseon in Gangwon province.
The town of Jeongseon is remote from the secular society. Scholars during the Chosun dynasty who took refuge in Jeongseon to avoid the calamity of literary were inspired by their own situations to write lyrics for the Jeongseon Arirang, according to an Encyclopedia of Korean Music.
Putting aside all historical assumptions, Arirang is a song that is widely known to all Koreans, regardless of age. It is even included in 3rd-grade elementary school curricula.
At the moment, Korea is the only nation still divided by war. It has been divided into two countries since the Korean War ended in 1953.
The Korean peninsula portrayed as one under the shared unification flag during the joint march -- with Arirang echoing within the stadium -- was enough to express the pain of separation in a once single nation. And there will be another chance to listen to Arirang if Korea’s unified women’s hockey team rings the victory bell in the upcoming game on Saturday and Sunday.