Philip Gowman

New Songdo City and South Korea’s Green Economy: An Uncertain Future

by Philip Gowman on 21 May, 2013

in Event Notices | SOAS | Talks and seminars

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The previous presidency continued, in more ambitious scale, the green contruction initiatives that Lee Myung-bak promoted while mayor of Seoul. The Four Rivers project received much criticism before, during and after its construction. What of the even bigger project, Songdo? An afternoon seminar at SOAS considers the new city that will be the home of [...]

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Engage Korea conference – a welcome perspective on North Korean

by Philip Gowman 19 May 2013
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When is a good time to hold a conference on engaging with North Korea? When the organisers set the date for the 4 May conference they couldn’t possibly have known the heightened level of tension that the peninsula was going to go through in the early months of 2013. Mainstream press coverage has veered from [...]

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Miscellaneous Writings by Autumn Lamplight – John Frankl on Yi Sang at SOAS

by Philip Gowman 19 May 2013
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On his way through London after the Alternative Modernisms conference at Cardiff, John Frankl tackles Yi Sang at SOAS: This Land Is Your Land, This Land Is My Land: Negotiating between Physical Geography and Political State in Yi Sang’s “Miscellaneous Writings by Autumn Lamplight” John Frankl (Associate Professor of Korean and Comparative Literature, Yonsei University) [...]

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March For The Beloved – in memory of Gwangju

by Philip Gowman 18 May 2013
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On the anniversary of the 18 May 1980 uprising in Gwangju, here is song which became its unofficial anthem. It was written in 1982 by Kim Jong-ryul for his friends, a couple who were murdered in the uprising. The title is 임을 위한 행진곡 or “March for the beloved”, sometimes translated as “March for the [...]

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The Duke of Cumberland is legless

by Philip Gowman 17 May 2013
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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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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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Kim Sung Ok: A Literature of and for the Self – Steve Capener at SOAS

by Philip Gowman 13 May 2013
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On his way to a conference on Alternative Modernisms in Cardiff, Steve Capener gives a talk on one of my favourite authors. Kim Sung Ok: A Literature of and for the Self Steve Capener (Assistant Professor, Seoul Women’s University) 14 May 2013, 5:15 – 7:00 PM Russell Square Room 4421 Abstract After he took power [...]

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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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LSE IDEAS conference marking 60 years after the end of the Korean War

by Philip Gowman 12 May 2013
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To mark the 60th anniversary of the end of the Korean War, LSE IDEAS is organising a conference to discuss the conflict, Monday 3 June 2013, 14:00-18:00. Invited speakers will begin by exploring why the war ended the way it did, and what arrangements were made for the immediate post-war period. The discussion will then [...]

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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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Save a poster, win a flat – Pyongyang traffic cop gets rewarded

by Philip Gowman 10 May 2013
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Why did traffic controller Ri Kyong Sim get rewarded with the title of Hero of the Republic, together with a new flat for herself and her family? Recently she safeguarded the headquarters of the revolution in an unexpected situation by displaying her heroic self-sacrificing spirit of defending the leader resolutely, says the Rodong Sinmun on [...]

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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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