BFI Flare launched yesterday with a humdinger of an opening movie: Andrew Ahn’s reimagining of Ang Lee’s 1993 The Wedding Banquet. Ahn’s partner in creating this update, James Schamus, also co-wrote Ang Lee’s version. While the original film features a single gay couple and a marriage of convenience, the reboot has two gay couples, which … [Read More]
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Exhibition visit: Bestselling and beloved – Korean Literary Treasures
While primarily envisaged as a home for temporary displays of visuals arts, the KCC exhibition space over the years has hosted a number of exhibitions featuring historical or literary themes. 2024 started, for example, with an exhibition looking at the early relations between the UK and Korea, celebrating 140 years of diplomatic relations, and later … [Read More]
Festival of Korean Dance 2025 – programme details announced
Here’s the official press release for the 2025 Festival of Korean dance. This year, in addition to performances at The Place in London, the festival tours to Bournemouth, Salford and Newcastle. A Festival of Korean Dance returns for its eighth year with 17-strong ensemble headliner and a live rock band Presented by the Korean Cultural … [Read More]
Snowy Day – a new collection of Lee Chang-dong short stories
I’ve been following Korean literature in translation now for around 25 years. Back in the day, I’d buy everything I could lay my hands on – after all, there wasn’t much of it around, so there wasn’t much financial commitment involved. At the time, most of the literature available was originally written more than thirty … [Read More]
2024 in review part 1 – the cultural year in London
In the first of three articles – which have taken far longer than they should have done to write – we look back over the past year of Korean events in London and elsewhere. At this point in the year we always ask ourselves the question as to whether there is any sign of the Korean … [Read More]
2024 in review part 2 – the books that caught our eye
2024 was a busy year for Korea-related books in English. Over one hundred books from the year made their way into the LKL Korea Book DataBase, and there were many more that didn’t make the cut. As translated Korean literature becomes ever more prominent in our bookstores, 2024 was, of course, the year in which … [Read More]
2024 in review part 3 – the film festivals and other screenings
In a somewhat disappointing filmic year in Korea, in London we could nevertheless celebrate the fact that a handful of the latest big-budget Korean movies continue to have limited-scope theatrical releases. In 2024 we got director Heo Myung-haeng’s contribution to the Roundup franchise, and the final instalment of Kim Han-min’s Yi Sun-shin trilogy, plus Jang … [Read More]
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Recent Event updates
Re-Seed Asia: The Future of East Asian Fashion & Cultural Exchange
Re-Seed Asia brings together fashion, education, and cultural exchange to connect emerging creatives across Asia. Re-Seed Asia: Fashion, Culture & Creative Diplomacy Summit is an exhibition-led international cultural exchange programme hosted by University of the Arts London at London College of Fashion. This exhibition brings together emerging student creatives from South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and the … [Read More]
Big Bang 20th anniversary tour comes to London
K‑pop veterans Big Bang return to London this September for a rare stadium‑scale appearance at Tottenham Hotspur as part of their 20th Anniversary world tour, marking one of the most anticipated Korean music events of the year. As pioneers of the genre’s global expansion, Big Bang helped define the sound and spectacle of modern K‑pop, blending … [Read More]
KCCUK Norigae and Jogakbo Workshop
Join the KCCUK for a hands-on craft workshop exploring the beauty of Norigae and Jogakbo, two treasured elements of traditional Korean culture. Discover the history, symbolism, and artistry behind these unique crafts while creating your own meaningful keepsakes. Norigae Norigae is a traditional Korean ornament worn by women that added elegance and splendour to the … [Read More]
Korea Forum 2026: Beyond Soft Power — From K-Wave to K-Initiative
Korea captured the world’s imagination through culture. Can it now help shape what comes next? Presented by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the United Kingdom and the Korean Cultural Centre UK, ‘Korea Forum 2026’ brings together thought leaders from business, culture, academia, and diplomacy to explore how Korea’s cultural influence is evolving … [Read More]
Miya Lee, Catherine Cho and Ela Lee at Wimbledon Book Fest 2026
One of the writers at the heart of the genre discusses the rise of Korean healing fiction, the lives of her characters, the work of translators, and the deep human appetite -wherever we live -for stories that make space for kindness. Miye Lee is the author of The Dallergut Dream Department Store, the magical-realist phenomenon that … [External Link]
Le Sserafim PUREFLOW World Tour in London
LE SSERAFIM bring their PUREFLOW World Tour to London on 16 October 2026, marking the group’s first standalone UK concert and a major step in their expanding global footprint. Since debuting under Source Music/HYBE, the five‑member group have become one of K‑pop’s most closely watched acts, pairing precision choreography with a sleek, hybrid sound that … [Read More]
The above events list includes recent updates to events which might have been uploaded some time ago (eg an update confirming venue or ticket link). A chronological listing of all event notices published, most recent first, can be found here. A list of all upcoming events can be found here.
Recent Book updates
American Han
Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1980s, Jane Kim and her brother, Kevin, dutifully embodied the model minority myth as their parents demanded: both stellar tennis players and academically gifted, they worked hard to make their parents proud. Jane went on to law school. Kevin came close to becoming a professional … [Read More]
Earth Works: Houses by Byoung Cho
Earth Works: Houses by Byoung Cho offers a unique glimpse into the residential buildings of one of Korea’s most influential architects. This visually stunning monograph combines photography, plans, drawings, paintings and models to provide an exclusive overview of this rarely published aspect of Byoung’s work. Focused entirely around fifteen private and rarely seen residences, the … [Read More]
Mukja: Let’s Eat!: Fan-Favorite Recipes from K-Pop, K-Dramas & More [forthcoming]
Celebrate the flavors of hallyu with more than 65 mukbang-worthy recipes inspired by Korean dramas, movies, and music. The Korean Wave, or hallyu, has seen the K-food craze spread globally, spurred by the popularity of cultural exports like K-pop and K-dramas. From dalgona coffee to cheese-filled corndogs, Korean trends are taking over, both on-screen and … [Read More]
The Promised Republic: Developmental Society and the Making of Modern Seoul, 1961-1979
In The Promised Republic, Russell Burge offers a bold new history of South Korea’s rapid development. By focusing on the experience of rural-to-urban migrants who built and lived in Seoul’s shantytowns, Burge historicizes national development as a site of struggle with the urban poor at its center. What would a society of postcolonial abundance look like? … [Read More]
Orange and the Bread Knife
The thrilling high-concept Korean bestseller about conforming to society’s standards, where one woman decides she has HAD ENOUGH Oh Young-a, a warm-hearted schoolteacher, lives to please – smiling through people’s demands, moulding her hobbies and even her heart to match what others deem to be “right”. But beneath her cheerful facade, the weight of constant … [Read More]
K-Drama School: A Pop Culture Inquiry Into Why We Love Korean Television
From the Emmy Award-winning Squid Game to streaming sensations like The Glory and Crash Landing on You, Korean television has emerged onto the global pop culture scene as compelling television—but what exactly makes these shows so irresistibly bingeable? And what can we learn about our societies and ourselves from watching them? From stand-up comedian and media studies PhD Grace Jung … [Read More]
The above booklist includes recent updates to books which might have been uploaded some time ago (eg an update to reflect a release of cover art, or a new review). A chronological listing of all books uploaded, most recent first, can be found here.