London Korean Links

Covering things Korean in London and beyond since 2006

An Event to Meet and Honour Korean War Veterans

The British Korean Society, in collaboration with the National Army Museum, will hold an event on Thursday 5 May to show our appreciation of and to honour British veterans of the Korean War – and to hear something of their experiences. The doors will open at 18.00 for a 18.30 start at the National Army … [Read More]

Modern Korean history documentary double bill at the KCC

Korean Film Nights presents four episodes of the television documentary series Modern Korea 2, produced by the KBS television channel. Each episode uses footage selected from the vast KBS archives to create compilation narratives that look back at the social, political, and cultural themes that have marked Korea’s history over the decades. The footage and … [Read More]

Japanese Nativism and Its Colonial Legacy

Thanks to 앤서방 for drawing this interesting-looking talk to our attention: Japanese Nativism and Its Colonial Legacy: Imagining Divine Origins of the Korean Writing System Cambridge University East Asia Seminar Speaker: Dr Nuri Kim Monday 7 February 2022 – 5:30pm via Zoom | Register to attend In this talk, Dr. Kim traces how Japanese nativist … [Read More]

Cliff Richard in Seoul, 1969

OK, here goes… possibly LKL’s first ever Cliff Richard post. While searching for vintage Korean vinyl records sold in the UK on the Discogs record collectors website (they do crop up now and then, but if you’re a fan of Songolmae or Lee Mija, forget it: you’re too late!), I found this intriguing item – … [Read More]

BKS talk: A whistle-stop archaeology and history of Korea

The British Korean Society is hosting a talk on early Korean history and archaeology. Open to non-members. A whistle-stop archaeology and history of Korea: from the Palaeolithic to the Three Kingdoms Period Presentation by Hari Blackmore Hosted by Martin Uden – Chairman of the BKS Thursday 18th February 2021, 6.30pm Via Zoom | Register here … [Read More]

Review: Na Man’gap – the Diary of 1636

Na Man’gap’s Diary of 1636, as George Kallander explains in his informative introduction, is the longest known private account of the second Manchu invasion of Korea. Na (1592 – 1642) was a senior scholar-official who was with the King and court inside Namhansanseong – he was in charge of military rations – throughout the siege … [Read More]

Book review: Christopher Lovins on King Chŏngjo

Thus far this year I’ve been focusing on literature in translation. As I wait for the next major wave of publications to hit the shops, I’ve turned my attention to non-fiction. And the first title I reached for was Christopher Lovins’s King Chŏngjo: An Enlightened Despot in Early Modern Korea, which came out in paperback … [Read More]

Review: Kim Yideum – Blood Sisters

Kim Yideum: Blood Sisters Translated by Jiyoon Lee Deep Vellum, 2019, 202pp Originally published as 블러드 시스터즈 by Munhakdongne, 2011 I seem to be on a roll with translated fiction this year. Two disappointments (Marilyn and Me and Kim Jiyoung), but now seven that are highly recommendable. I picked this novel off the reading pile … [Read More]

Screening: The Marines Who Never Returned CANCELLED

This screening is now cancelled as the KCC has closed, in common with many cultural venues, as a result of the health situation. The KCC’s first season of in-house screenings this year commemorates the 70th anniversary of the start of the Korean War. The Marines Who Never Returned Director: Lee Man-hee (1963, 110 mins) Cast: … [Read More]

Book review: Marilyn and Me

Ji-min Lee: Marilyn and Me Translated by Chi-young Kim HarperCollins / 4th Estate 2019, 176pp Originally published as 나와마릴린, 2009 “Where did all the beautiful and hopeful young women go?” That was the thought that occurred to author Ji-Min Lee, looking back at the grim post-war years, and looking at a couple of photographs from … [Read More]