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Climate Hope

From Arirang to the Arena: A Folk Song, A Global Stage

At Climate Hope, we believe the future is built by what we protect, not what we discard. Care over speed. Memory over amnesia. Community over extraction. Those values show up everywhere we look, including culture.


2016 was a year when many of these ideas were quietly taking shape. The Paris Agreement entered into force, signaling a fragile but collective commitment to climate action. At the same time, moments like Standing Rock reminded the world that climate leadership often comes from those carrying ancestral knowledge forward, listening to land and water long before institutions do.


Which brings us to Arirang. From UNESCO:


Arirang is a popular form of Korean folk song and the outcome of collective contributions made by ordinary Koreans throughout generations. Essentially a simple song, it consists of the refrain ‘Arirang, arirang, arariyo’ and two simple lines, which differ from region to region. While dealing with diverse universal themes, the simple musical and literary composition invites improvisation, imitation and singing in unison, encouraging its acceptance by different musical genres.

Arirang is a centuries-old Korean folk song about separation and return. About crossing mountains while holding grief and hope at the same time. It has endured because it belongs to everyone and no one. It adapts without disappearing. It carries history without freezing it.


Photo Credit: UNESCO


Why Arirang Matters Here


The international broadcaster Arirang TV takes its name from this song for a reason. Its purpose is cultural continuity, sharing Korea with the world without flattening its roots.


In the mid-2010s, BTS appeared on Arirang TV programs like Simply K-Pop, performing songs such as I Need U, Run, Dope and Fire. These were small studio stages with clean cameras and minimal sets. The focus stayed on breath, movement and collective discipline.


Check out our YouTube playlist gathering BTS’s Arirang-related performances, broadcasts, and moments across time, an archive in motion. From early Arirang TV stages, studio performances and later reinterpretations, this collection shows how cultural memory travels. How a folk song becomes a reference point. How restraint, discipline and care show up long before scale does.



From Folk Song to Album Title


Arirang is also the title of the new BTS album scheduled for release on March 20, 2026. Choosing Arirang is a decision to anchor forward motion in memory. It signals endurance over novelty and continuity over constant reinvention.



That choice mirrors how we think about climate work. The most hopeful futures are not built by forgetting the past. They are built by learning from it and carrying forward what works.


Take Action and Support


🎥 Watch, Share, Remember: Explore our curated playlist of BTS’s Arirang related performances and broadcasts. Notice how meaning travels when care leads.

📖 Learn, Reflect: Read about Arirang’s recognition by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage, and why shared culture matters in uncertain times.

🎧 Listen, Connect: Outrage + Optimism is a weekly climate podcast covering climate science, politics, and business, aiming to turn outrage over climate inaction into "stubborn optimism" and actionable solutions for a sustainable future. We highly recommend this one: Paris, 10 Years On - Has it Changed the World?

📖 Read, Support: Stories on Indigenous land defenders and community led climate solutions. Because the future listens to its elders.

🌱 Learn, Follow: Climate justice organizations centering continuity, care and long term stewardship.


🌍 Climate Action Orgs to Inspire and Motivate



💬 Tell us in the comments:


At ClimateHope.us, we believe hope is not loud at first. It is carried. Shared. Repeated. What cultural tradition helps you remember what is worth protecting?

 
 
 

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