Zheng Lücheng or Chong Ryul-song (; , 27 August 1914 – 7 December 1976) was a Korean-born Chinese composer of Korean ethnicity. He is most notable for having composed the music to the Military Anthem of the People's Liberation Army, to words by Gong Mu (公木; real name: Zhang Yongnian; ).

Early life

Zheng was born Cheong Bu-eun (정부은, 鄭富恩) in the

South Jeolla Province South Jeolla Province (), formerly South Chŏlla Province, also known as Jeonnam (), is a province in the Honam, Honam region, South Korea, and the Provinces of Korea, southernmost province in mainland Korea. South Jeolla borders the provinces of ...

of what is now

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

in either 1914 or 1918. Official records show his year of birth at 1918, but it is believed he may have concealed his age to maintain cover as an agent in Nanjing. In 1933, Zheng moved to

Nanjing Nanjing or Nanking is the capital of Jiangsu, a province in East China. The city, which is located in the southwestern corner of the province, has 11 districts, an administrative area of , and a population of 9,423,400. Situated in the Yang ...

, China, where he became associated with the Korean-Chinese anti-Japanese invasion movement and then with the communists.

Career

In 1937, in

Yan'an Yan'an; ; Chinese postal romanization, alternatively spelled as Yenan is a prefecture-level city in the Shaanbei region of Shaanxi Province of China, province, China, bordering Shanxi to the east and Gansu to the west. It administers several c ...

, Zheng composed the song which was to become the military anthem of the

People's Liberation Army The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the military of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the People's Republic of China (PRC). It consists of four Military branch, services—People's Liberation Army Ground Force, Ground Force, People's ...

. In 1945, Zheng returned to Korea or, precisely,

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...

, where he worked as chief of the North Korean army's band and taught music at Pyongyang University. Zheng wrote the anthem of the

Korean People's Army The Korean People's Army (KPA; ) encompasses the combined military forces of North Korea and the armed wing of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK). The KPA consists of five branches: the Korean People's Army Ground Force, Ground Force, the Ko ...

, Tumen River, East Sea Fisherman and other songs. After the outbreak of the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

, Zheng returned to China, where he composed many works, including a Chinese-language, Western-style opera, '' Cloud Gazing'' based on a story of the

Bai people The Bai or Pai (Bai language, Bai: , ; zh, c=白族, p=Báizú), are an East Asian people, East Asian ethnic group native to the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture of Yunnan, Yunnan Province, Bijie area of Guizhou, Guizhou Province, and Sangzhi C ...

Personal life

Zheng's wife was China's first female

ambassador An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or so ...

, Ding Xuesong. In 1950, when the

broke out,

Zhou Enlai Zhou Enlai ( zh, s=周恩来, p=Zhōu Ēnlái, w=Chou1 Ên1-lai2; 5 March 1898 – 8 January 1976) was a Chinese statesman, diplomat, and revolutionary who served as the first Premier of the People's Republic of China from September 1954 unti ...

—having been petitioned by Zheng's Chinese wife, Ding Xuesong—personally wrote to

Kim Il Sung Kim Il Sung (born Kim Song Ju; 15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994) was a North Korean politician and the founder of North Korea, which he led as its first Supreme Leader (North Korean title), supreme leader from North Korea#Founding, its establishm ...

requesting that Zheng return to China for work. Kim agreed; in 1950, Zheng obtained Chinese nationality.Zheng Lücheng: Thoroughly into Factories and the Countryside 28 Sep 2012 "Ding Xuesong, with help by a letter written by the ambassador to Chief State Councillor Zhou Enlai, asked for both her and Zheng's return to China, plus requesting a renewal "

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zheng, Lucheng 20th-century Chinese composers Chinese male classical composers Chinese classical composers Chinese opera composers Chinese people of Korean descent Chinese people of World War II Male opera composers 1914 births 1976 deaths Korean emigrants to China Musicians from Gwangju Naturalized citizens of the People's Republic of China 20th-century classical composers 20th-century Chinese musicians 20th-century male composers Burials at Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery