Hong Nan-pa

Hong Nan-pa (April 10, 1898 – August 30, 1941) was a Korean composer, violinist, conductor, music critic and educator. He is best known as the composer of Bongseonhwa (봉선화, literally Garden Balsam) written in 1919. It is generally considered as the first true Korean original song composed in Western style. It was widely sung during the period. Hong also contributed to developing Korean culture during the period with his diverse cultural activities. Biography Hong Nan-pa was born at Hwalcho Village of Namyang Township in present Hwangseong County, Gyeonggi. He was the second son to his father, Hong Sun () of the native Hong Clan to Namyoung (南陽) and his mother from Lee Clan of Jeonju, Jeolla. He had one brother and two sisters. Nan-pa is his ho, or pen name, but his given name is Hong Yeong-hu. His family moved to Seoul when he was still a young child. As he lived near the Ewha Academy () located in the neighborhood of Jeong-dong, he attended Jeongdong Methodist Church and got access to hymn, a Western music. He learned basic Confucian studies at a local seodang (a kind of elementary school) and entered a middle school in 1910 which was affiliated with the Hwangseong Young Men’s Chr