London Korean Links

Covering things Korean in London and beyond since 2006

Queer East 2023 announces a Focus Korea strand

Hot on the heels of the BFI Flare festival, Queer East this year also has a Korean focus, with eight feature films, six shorts and one VR cinematic experience. The selection includes one UK feature premier, plenty of recent films plus some opportunities to revisit the back catalogue. In a separate post we’ve listed out … [Read More]

Darcy Paquet on translating Park Chan-wook

As magazines start publishing their Best of 2022 lists, we are reminded of Park Chan-wook’s Decision to Leave – which I think would top many people’s list of top Korean films of the year, and is #3 in the BFI’s list of films from all countries. It’s slightly ironic that BFI support their selection of … [Read More]

Alienoid to open LKFF 2022

It’s nice to hear some early news of what to expect at the London Korean Film Festival this year. On Thursday the KCCUK announced details of the opening film. It’s one that people have been wanting to see for a while: the sci-fi fantasy genre-bender Alienoid (외계+인 1부) by master of the ensemble cast Choi … [Read More]

Free online + in-person South Korean cinema seminar: Preservation, Distribution and Education

One day seminar on South Korean Cinema for University educators UK and internationally. In person and online, free entry & film screening. About this event Attendance either in person, at Andrew Stewart Cinema, Gilmorehill Halls, University of Glasgow, 9 University Avenue, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK, or, via Zoom (link available with ticket). Please register via … [Read More]

And in other Apple news…

With all the excitement about the launch of the adaptation of Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko on Apple TV, and Apple’s Oscar win, something that might once have been big news – the appearance of a free-to-view Park Chan-wook short film on YouTube – has not really had much airtime. Back in 2011, brothers Park Chan-wook … [Read More]

Interview: Cho Jungrae (The Singer, 2020)

I watched Cho Jungrae’s 2020 movie The Singer earlier this year online, after being told by a friend of the director that it was available on Amazon Prime. It struck me as a fresh take on the pansori movie genre: instead of telling a pansori tale more or less straight like Im Kwon-taek’s Chunhyang, it … [Read More]

Hallyu Con 2021

Hallyu Con returns to London for its second edition. There are opportunities for you to participate and share your passion in several ways. Follow the links below to find out more. Hallyu Con will be streamed from 2pm UK time on 4 September 2021 Watch on the KCCUK’s YouTube Channel or the dedicated Hallyu Con … [Read More]

LKFF 2020 announces its line-up

This is now the 15th edition of the festival organised by KCCUK. As is to be expected, this year is somewhat different, with many of the screenings taking place online. There’s plenty to enjoy in the programme. We’re particularly looking forward to Mark Morris’s selection of Mudang films. Here’s the official press release; we’ll be … [Read More]

Korean films at the 2020 BFI London Film Festival (this won’t take long)

The programme for the 64th BFI London Film Festival was announced earlier this week. As one might expect, the format is somewhat different this year. The schedule boasts “over 50 virtual premieres and a selection of highly anticipated new feature film previews … with work from more than 40 countries”. However, despite the diversity of … [Read More]

The Korean Film Archive Youtube Channel

Continuing some suggestions of what to do when you’re stuck at home… Many of you will already be aware that the Korean Film Archive has a wonderful YouTube Channel with loads of classic Korean movies, with English subtitles, available for free. Thing is, I’ve never found an index of the channel. So, over the years … [Read More]

Bong Joon-ho makes Oscars history

We almost feared that he had jinxed himself with that comment about the Academy Awards being “very local”. The comment, made in an interview with Vulture in October 2019, was made in the context that it’s “not a big deal” that a Korean movie had yet to be nominated for an Oscar (the nominations for … [Read More]

Recently published books on Korean film

Having done my list of upcoming fiction titles, I’ve been working on a similar list of upcoming non-fiction. But in compiling the non-fiction list I’ve identified several titles that slipped under the radar towards the end of last year. Three of them relate to film. No doubt, following all the buzz about Parasite, there will … [Read More]

Kim Un-su interviewed in Korea Times

Anna Jiwon Park has a good interview with Kim Un-su (author of The Plotters, among other things) in the Korea Times this week. It’s a nice leisurely two-page read for the Weekender section, clocking in at 3,000 words. Park has an engaging conversation with him, and makes an interesting observation: His books not only have … [Read More]