INCHEON — The history of islands where a father, his father and the father before him built lives on rough seas blossoms into song. The sound of waves breaking on tidal rocks becomes rhythm, and the breath of those who have guarded these islands across generations rides the melody to the listener's ear.
OBS Gyeongin TV will air a three-part music travel documentary that turns the long history of Korea's islands and the stories of their people into music, broadcasting at 9:55 p.m. daily from the 24th through the 26th for the Chuseok holiday. THETHE, a leading band in Korean modern rock, walked the Incheon islands of Deokjeokdo, Ganghwado and Daecheongdo, drawing stories from the lives of islanders and shaping them into music.
THETHE, which debuted in 1997, is a veteran band that won Album of the Year at the first Korean Music Awards in 2004 on the strength of hits such as "To Me Again" and "Delight." Joining the journey were producer and composer Kim Young-joon, who leads the band, and vocalist Lee Hyun-young, along with other members. Together they turned the distinct traces of time held by the three islands into three new songs, each with its own color.
In the first episode, "Deokjeokdo," airing on the 24th, all of the band's members roam the island. Residents recount memories from the generations of their parents and ancestors, when the island thrived as a croaker fishing market so lively that a theater and a public bath stood above the water. The rock track "Deokjeokdo, Our Youth" weaves together blue beaches, dense pine forests and the hope that the island will regain its vitality.
The second episode, "Ganghwado," airing on the 25th, unfolds through the warm gaze of a father and daughter across generations. Composer Kim Young-joon walked side by side with his 20-year-old daughter Lee Rang, who recently made her debut as a new musician. Listening closely to the deep stories of Ganghwado natives who have quietly kept their ancestral home for generations, they completed the acoustic song "Along the Ganghwa Wind."
The third episode, "Daecheongdo," airing on the 26th, follows the special journey of Kim Young-joon and Lee Hyun-young, a married couple who set out alone together for the first time in 20 years of marriage. Meeting the sea of Daecheongdo with its dazzling scenery and the island's unaffected residents, they carefully look into feelings for each other that had been buried in busy daily life. The finale comes with "Hello, Daecheongdo," a song that sets the island's clear waters and a love story to a light, bright melody.
OBS Gyeongin TV's documentary combines islands nestled in nature and the layered lives of the people within them with THETHE's lyrical music, offering living rooms a wistful nostalgia and a deep rest over this Chuseok holiday.
