It originated in the old song sung by a woman yearning for her husband on battlefield. Such local varieties of this folk song as "Sodo Arirang" and "Arirang of Kangwon Province" came into being with passage of many years.

After occupying Korea at the beginning of the last century, the Japanese imperialists had made desperate efforts in vain to erase this music heritage of the Korean nation "Arirang", sung as a song of all-people resistance.

Thanks to the policy of the Workers' Party of Korea for protecting national heritage, the folk song has been widely sung century after century to preserve the national characteristics.

The grand mass gymnastics and artistic performance "Arirang", created with the song as its seed and performed in Pyongyang before full houses, was registered in the Guinness Book of World Records in August Juche 96 (2007).

UNESCO, in an article on the registration of folk song "Arirang" as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity in November 2014, said: The song is a popular folk song which has been sung not only by families, friends and collective but also on different occasions like holiday. The song was handed down verbally, but exists in such diverse forms as traditional, orchestral and modern musical ones through its recreation, and sings about parting and reunion, sorrow and joy, and happiness with soft and lyric melodies. "Arirang" is conducive to mutual respect and peaceful social development by fostering social relations.