“Mr Yun is considered to be a remarkable composer, not only in Europe but in almost every country in the world. His aim has always been to link the noblest traditions of Korean music to western musical trends. His work and personality must be considered an invaluable means of raising awareness of Korean art and culture outside Korea. [...] The world of international music needs Mr Yun and his role as mediator between East and West is for us, of the greatest importance. As an ambassador of Korean music and culture, he is irreplaceable.” (Petition for the release of Yun Isang, 1967)
The life of Yun Isang was interwoven with the history of 20th century Korea. He remained deeply attached to his country and shared, quite literally, all the mutations and suffering it was subjected to. The sound of his music is deeply Korean, has biographical roots (it contains “exact traces of the auditive impressions of [his] childhood”), conveys meaning in the same way as traditional music (“all Korean music expresses something extra-musical”), and is fed by the Taoist idea of balance from which it draws its formal perfection, like the Yin and Yang symbols on the south-Korean flag.
