Sorrow's Path (Fingerstyle) - Kim Hak-rae

In 1975, Korea's government banned folk and rock music, silencing a generation's voice. The College Song Festival (1977) was meant to fill that void — but ironically gave birth to daehak gayo, a lyrical, self-authored current apart from mainstream pop.

Kim Hak-rae won the festival's grand prize in 1979, and his 1983 "Sorrow's Path" marks the moment that spirit flowed into the Korean ballad. A pure lyricism that bloomed from a stage with limited freedom — a song that continues to be loved by many to this day.