OK, that’s a bit of an exaggeration. He is now missing one foot, exposing the metal armature which has been keeping the soapy statue in one piece. And the left foreleg of his horse looks like it is not long for this world. On the way to see Krys Lee in the global literary salon [...]

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K-music focus forum at the KCC

by Philip Gowman 17 May 2013
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To warm you up for the festival of Korean music coming up during June, a panel of speakers will talk about Korean music at the KCC on 21 March at 7pm. It’s particularly nice to see Songlines on the panel. John Lusk from that magazine did a great article on Kim Duk-soo and other Korean [...]

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K-Music: The National Orchestra of Korea at the Barbican, 14 June

by Philip Gowman 17 May 2013
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The 2013 festival of Korean music starts with a prestigious appearance of the National Orchestra Orcestra of Korea. The orchestra was formed in 1995 and plays modified Korean traditional instruments, performing concerts which combine Korean and Western music in both new and traditional compositions. K-Music: The National Orchestra of Korea Friday 14 June, 8:00PM Barbican, [...]

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K-Music: Uhuhboo Project + Pere Ubu at Scala, 16 June

by Philip Gowman 17 May 2013
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K-film followers may know Uhuhboo Project from the soundtrack of Park Chan-wook’s short film Night Fishing, and the Project’s Baik Hyunjhin was in town last year for a performance at his solo art show at 43 Inverness Street. They are the second act in June’s K-music festival: K-Music: Uhuhboo Project + Pere Ubu Sunday 16 [...]

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K-Music: Geomungo Factory at the Cadogan Hall, 19 June

by Philip Gowman 17 May 2013
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The K-music festival continues with a fusion Geomungo quartet at the Cadogan Hall, who have had rave reviews from Songlines magazine: K-Music: Geomungo Factory Wednesday 19 June, 7:30PM Cadogan Hall, 5 Sloane Terrace, London, SW1X 9DQ The first-ever British concert by Korean cult band Geomungo Factory, who have taken the geomungo – an ancient form [...]

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K-music: Yi Sung Yol and Jang Kiha & the Faces at Scala, 20 June

by Philip Gowman 17 May 2013
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LKL has long been a fan of Yi Sung Yol – his was one of our albums of the year in 2007. Jang Ki-ha & the Faces is a more recent arrival on the scene, and manages to be slightly retro yet at the same time refreshing. I’m not sure I would describe either artist [...]

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K-music: Pansori night with Ahn Sook-sun at the Cadogan Hall, 21 June

by Philip Gowman 17 May 2013
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Earlier this year at the KCC’s 5th birthday celebrations we had forty minutes of pansori which left the audience wanting more. So here’s some more, for the final concert of the K-music festival. K-Music: Pansori Night – Ahn Sook-Sun Friday 21 June, 7:30PM Cadogan Hall, 5 Sloane Terrace, London, SW1X 9DQ Pansori is Korean musical [...]

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Memories through Line and Colour: Anna Jung Seo at Vyner Street Gallery

by Philip Gowman 16 May 2013
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News of an upcoming exhibition at Vyner Street Gallery. Keep your eyes peeled for notice of Hada Contempoary’s June show, and maybe you can do two openings at the same time. Memories through Line and Colour Anna Jung Seo 4th – 9th June 2013 Private View : Thursday 6th June 18.00-21.00 Vyner Street Gallery | [...]

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The 2013 Terracotta Far East Film Festival line-up

by Saharial 15 May 2013
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Three Korean films including the hit thriller The Berlin File are included in the line-up for this year’s Terracotta Festival. Saharial reviews the schedule. It’s that fantastic time of the year again when the Terracotta Film Festival hits London, and the line up announced last week is really exciting, especially when tied in with the [...]

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Years of Radical Change: Korean Screen Culture – a 2-day conference at SOAS, 31 May-1 June

by Philip Gowman 14 May 2013
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Those who attended the free one-day Korean film seminar in SOAS’s Vernon Square building May last year won’t need persuasion. This year, it has expanded to two days, and is in the main Russell Square building. Free, but advance registration is required. Years of Radical Change: Korean Screen Culture Date: Friday 31 May & Saturday [...]

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London Book Fair 2013 – an overview of the Korean publishing market and a brief meeting with Choe Yun and Chung Young-moon

by Philip Gowman 12 May 2013
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London Book Fair 2014 will see Korea as the Market Focus Country. And in 2013 Korea was there to prepare the way. The Korea Publishers Association and the Literature Translation Institute of Korea jointly occupied a stall at the Earl’s Court exhibition, displaying among other things a wide range of translated Korean literature, including a [...]

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Wisdom & Compassion – an exhibition of Buddhist art at Mokspace

by Philip Gowman 12 May 2013
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To mark Buddha’s Birthday (17 May this year), Mokspace’s latest exhibition, which opens 14 May, is of contemporary Buddhist art. Note also the meditation class, lotus lantern making and tea ceremony events, which need to be booked in advance. Wisdom & Compassion Jewoo Jeon, Sooyung Lee, Sukhi Barber, Suzanne Rees Glanister, Venerable Sulgok Opening Reception: [...]

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Pochagi – A Tapestry of Korean Sounds

by Philip Gowman 12 May 2013
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June is turning in to quite a month for Korean music. To warm us up for the big K-music festival later in the month, Hyelim Kim (SOAS) performs with the Yin Yang Collective and launches her CD at the Royal Asiatic Society on 6 June: Pochagi – A Tapestry of Korean Sounds Yin Yang Collective [...]

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Eerie Tales from Old Korea – republished 100 years on

by Philip Gowman 9 May 2013
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100 years ago, Homer B Hulbert and James Scarth Gale translated and published “Eerie Tales from Old Korea”, a collection of Korean ghost stories. Now Brother Anthony of Taize has handpicked some of those tales, and Seoul Selection has republished them to celebrate the 150th birthdays of Gale and Hulbert. It’s definitely going on to [...]

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Korea Craft Design Foundation at Collect 2013

by Philip Gowman 6 May 2013
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COLLECT is an international art fair for contemporary museum-quality objects. It is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, and for the first time this year there will be a stall presenting the best of Korean contemporary craft and design. The exhibition is at the Saatchi Gallery. Korea Craft Design Foundation at Collect 2013 10 – [...]

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The Korean War in Colour screens at SOAS

by Philip Gowman 5 May 2013
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Something slightly different for SOAS’s evening Korean Studies seminar this time: a documentary film screening, with Q&A with the director, in this 60th anniversary year of the 1953 armistice. The Korean War in Colour Stewart Binns (Documentary Filmmaker) Date: 10 May 2013, 5:15 – 7:00 PM Venue: Russell Square, College Buildings, Room 4418 Film screening [...]

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Gig Review: Korea Rocks at the Barfly

by Saharial 2 May 2013
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It was a cold a windy day in Camden on Sunday, something easily forgotten at Barfly thanks to the energy that filled the venue during the four hours of Korea Rocks. I like the Barfly venue – just the right size space for a gig to feel busy but intimate, and the whole place as [...]

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May events

by Philip Gowman 1 May 2013
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Plenty on offer this month, particularly in respect of talks and seminars. Do let me know what I’ve missed. Talks, seminars, classes The Engage Korea conference is at Merton College Oxford on 4 May SOAS seminars this month are a screening of The Korean War in Colour, on 10 May, a look at Kim Sung [...]

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The Hidden Cost of Prosperity – a winning curatorial project at the KCC

by Philip Gowman 29 April 2013
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In December last year Anna Miyoung Kim curated an evening of video art work investigating the darker side of Korea’s economic growth – and possibly of capitalism more widely – in an interesting project called The Shade of Prosperity. Apart from presenting a diverse range of short videos loosely based on a theme – rather [...]

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Imaginative Space: duo exhibition at Mokspace

by Philip Gowman 26 April 2013
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News of Mokspace’s new show, which opens on Tuesday: Imaginative Space Sam Shiels & Sung Young Park Duo Exhibition Opening Reception: Tuesday 30th April 2013, 6:30 – 8:30pm Exhibition Date: 30th April – 12th May 2013 Venue: MOKSPACE, 33 Museum St, London WC1A 1LH Mokspace presents an exhibition of works on the theme of imaginative [...]

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The Korea Rocks tour – good for Hyundai Card, and good for the audience

by Philip Gowman 25 April 2013
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If you’re in London and a fan of quality rock music, this Sunday at the Barfly in Camden is a must for you. For fans of Korean culture in London, it is of course an unmissable opportunity to see some of the best indie rock bands that dominate the Hongdae music scene. And for their [...]

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