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| Saab International Technology Korea Vice President and Head of Marketing and Sales Martin Malmfors poses before Korean Air Force's Black Eagles aerobatic team T-50 aircraft during ADEX exhibition at Seoul Airport in Seongnam in 2017. Saab, a Swedish defense and security company, participated in the 2017 exhibition. / Courtesy of Martin Malmfors |
By Yi Whan-woo
It is not surprising to run into non-Koreans who are aware of Arirang, Korea's probably most popular folk song, amid growing international interest in Korean culture.
But Martin Malmfors, Saab International Technology Korea's vice president and head of marketing and sales, still stands out.
The well-traveled exec can fluently sing Arirang, play the piece on clarinet and recite the historical and cultural significance behind its lyrics. This was the case for the Swede when he was asked by the Embassy of Sweden in Seoul to represent the Swedish business community and perform a Korean song of his choice at the 60th anniversary reception for Sweden -Korea relations at the Seoul Museum of History on March 11.
"When it came to my selection of music, I did not have to hesitate at all," Malmfors told The Korea Times in an email interview, March 19.
"For me, no other piece of Korean music summarizes and represents better the memories and strong emotions that I have developed in Korea over the past 15 years."
He referred to Arirang as "a true testament" of Korean passion and love as well hardship and suffering that the Korean Peninsula has endured for centuries. "Not only does Arirang have a beautiful melody, but also some deeply symbolic lyrics which so well capture the soul, spirit and heritage of the Korean people," he said.
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| Saab International Technology Korea Vice President and Head of Marketing and Sales Martin Malmfors plays Arirang on clarinet during a reception to mark the 60th anniversary of Sweden-Korea diplomatic relations at the Seoul Museum of History in Seoul, March 11. / Korea Times photo by Yi Whan-woo |
Living in Seoul since 2004, he became interested in Arirang in August 2005 when he visited North Korea as member of the European Union business delegation and had a chance to watch the Arirang Festival, a mass games event with tens of thousands of gymnasts and dancers. It was held to mark the 60th anniversary of Liberation Day on Aug. 15, one of the few holidays celebrated in both Koreas after the peninsula was freed from Japanese colonial rule in 1945.
"It was truly a mesmerizing once-in-a-lifetime experience to be allowed to personally witness such a spectacle first-hand," he said of the festival, which is known for huge human-pixel images created by 30,000 schoolchildren using colored boards.
"Immediately upon my return to Seoul I made some further research on the Arirang song. It then became very clear to my why this song has been dubbed as the unofficial anthem of Korea — and twice listed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list."
Malmfors said, following his trip to the North, Korean traditional music or gugak, especially pansori, shin-gugak and fusion gugak, "has played an important role in my endeavors to learn more about Korea."
Malmfors, 48, considers himself blessed and fortunate to be experiencing the "Korean wonder in-the-making" and promoting Korea worldwide.
"I strongly believe that we, both as countries and peoples, have so much to learn from and be inspired by each other. Therefore, it has come very naturally to me to try my best to assist in informally promoting Korea in Sweden — and vice versa," he said.
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| Saab International Technology Korea Vice President and Head of Marketing and Sales Martin Malmfors, right, poses with his wife, Sun-mi, left, and their son, in this photo taken early this year. / Courtesy of Martin Malmfors |
He said his Korean wife, Sun-mi, has inspired him to have particular interest toward Korean culinary culture and food heritage. He pointed out his wife is from Wando, South Jeolla Province, known for its delicacies and rich culinary history, and that she has exceptional cooking skills.
This led him to open Moi-Copenhagen (www.moikorean.com), a Korean restaurant in Copenhagen, Demark, in April 2018, jointly with David Mill, the chef and owner of Grand Hotel Molle in Sweden.
It is run by Kim Hee — a Korean chef who runs several restaurants in Seoul, including the popular "Moi Kitchen" in Hannam-dong.
Commenting on the 60th anniversary of Sweden-Korea ties, Malmfors said it "gains even further symbolic importance and reason to celebrate" considering 60 years, or hwangap, is a full big cycle in the lunar calendar and is a particularly important period of time in Korean culture.
"I have had the fortune to be involved with and get to know Korea during only a brief part of this period. But nevertheless, I sense a vast and positive change just during the past decade," he said. "So, let that positive change — and the strengthened ties between our countries — continue to thrive for many more hwangaps to come. This is just the beginning!"
A former intelligence officer at Swedish Air Force, Malmfors has been working for Saab, a Swedish defense and security company, since September 2016.
He previously worked for EUKOR Car Carriers, a Scandinavian-Korean shipping company dealing with global shipments of Hyundai and Kia automobiles.
