Donguibogam Village, Sancheong-gun, Friday 6 September, 2pm. After lunch, I realise that I now have to perform my ambassadorial duties. My sense of gloom is at odds with the enthusiastic spiel that I have to present to the camera. We proceed to the Donguibogam Museum where we meet up with a few people in an … [Read More]
Front Page
Five from the archive
Korea Chronicles – programme and video of the opening performance
Here is a video of the opening performance of the Korea Chronicles residency at the KCC, by Jason Verney of Native Nomad Pictures. The performance was on 12 August 2014. As Jason comments: This film features the performances and concert in its entirety, along with added extras – the preparation beforehand, the artwork associated with … [Read More]
The Orphan Master’s Son: best left in the orphanage
Adam Johnson: The Orphan Master’s Son Doubleday, 2012 The publication of The Orphan Master’s Son, the second novel by Adam Johnson, had lucky timing, surfing the wave of interest in the North caused by the death of Kim Jong-il. The newspapers duly lined up to review it to general acclaim, but an early battleground formed: … [Read More]
Saharial’s Entertainment Weekly: Aegyo perfection from Two X, B.A.P’s bank-busting MV, and more
Two X (투엑스, J. Tune Camp, part of JYP Entertainment), a five-member girl group who made their debut last August, have released their second single “Ring Ma Bell” (http://youtu.be/wKp0EdDEl3k). Produced by Rado, the track is an electronic dance song, and the MV differs from their first release “Double Up” (http://youtu.be/zM3KEOzGw6M) and should contain a warning … [Read More]
Brief review: Baudeogi at the Bloomsbury
Another entertaining evening from Think Korea. As the year progresses, the sponsors are learning about how best to introduce their wonderful shows to a western audience. This time, there was a glossy programme which set out some of the background to what we were about to see, which was helpful. There was also some useful … [Read More]
Recent Posts
November events
The need for difficult decisions continues into November, with music, film, literature and artistic events simultaneously calling for our attention. LKL’s pick of the upcoming month has to be Lee Heemoon at the Purcell Room, closing this year’s K-music Festival. Regretfully, we’re going to have to pass on Geumhyung Jeong’s performance at the ICA (we … [Read More]
London Korean Film Festival Announces 2024 Programme
Here’s the official press release for this year’s London Korean Film Festival, released today. Some good things here! Korean Cultural Centre UK announces London Korean Film Festival 2024 Programme Opening Gala Film: Park Beom-su’s VICTORY Closing Gala Film: E.oni’s LOVE IN THE BIG CITY Special Screening: Choi Dong-hoon’s ALIENOID: RETURN TO THE FUTURE London, 1 … [Read More]
Theatre round-up: four recent Korean stage productions
This year in London we have been fortunate so far to have enjoyed four Korean stage productions: two imports with a run of several weeks each, and two shoestring-budget local productions with a handful of performances. Which would we go to see again? Do the plucky locals win out over the imports? [Read More]
K-Music Festival 2024: an introduction
The programme for the 2024 K-Music Festival is quite possibly the best yet. For LKL, the real gems are the opening and closing events. We hear that the National Changgeuk Company‘s Lear, which opens the festival, is every bit as good as their Trojan Women, which we raved about; and for the closing event pretty … [Read More]
Korean Wave or Korean Tsunami? The Next-Gen Late Night at the Korean Cultural Centre
On Friday 31st May, the Korean Cultural Centre UK hosted its inaugural networking event for young professionals and opinion leaders titled ‘Next Gen Late Night.’ The evening was aimed at bringing people together to discuss not only the explosion of global interest in Korean culture (known as Hallyu) but crucially, as the target audience of … [Read More]
Oh Myung-hee’s tribute to female spirituality and springtime
If you find yourself in the Sloane Square area over the Easter period, do pop in to the Garrison Chapel in the new Chelsea Barracks development. It’s a lovely, airy space used primarily for exhibitions, and currently there’s a group show, launched on International Women’s Day, featuring work by eighteen female artists. One of those … [Read More]
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Recent Event updates
Stray Kids – dominATE world tour in London
Following the record-breaking success of Stray Kids’ 2024 shows in Asia & Australia, the acclaimed, gold certified, global K-Pop phenomenon will take to the stage at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Friday 18th July, 2025 as one of 20 new performances on their highly successful dominATE World Tour. The Stray Kids dominATE World Tour marks their … [Read More]
Bestselling and Beloved: Korean Literary Treasures
The Korean Cultural Centre UK is pleased to present ‘Bestselling and Beloved,’ a special exhibition that delves into the heart of Korean literature, showcasing both its enduring classics and its dynamic contemporary scene, with a spotlight on Nobel Laureate Han Kang. Exploring beloved Korean literature and contemporary classics, the exhibition illuminates the broader contours of … [Read More]
North Korea: Human rights, security and beyond
Please join the Cambridge Centre for Geopolitics for a panel discussion involving representatives of the Republic of Korea’s Institute for National Unification (KINU), and leading UK Korea specialists. The discussion will consider the human rights’ situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the wider issue of how international law might be used … [Read More]
‘K-History Unlock’: King Sejong
The second topic in the K-History Unlock Series at the Korean Cultural Centre UK is King Sejong. Known as one of the most significant figures in Korean history, King Sejong is frequently featured in Korean dramas and films for his remarkable achievements during the Joseon Dynasty. Join us as we delve into the life and … [Read More]
2024 Kimchi Festival
Join 17 master kimchi chefs in the shadow of Fleet Street’s famous St Brides Church to celebrate kimchi day! Kimchi pancakes, dumplings and spicy chicken will fuel you for the afternoon. Program 12:00 – 12:30 Opening & Greeting London Korean Hummingbird Choir 12:40 – 13.30 Talking on Kimchi By Prof Yoon Sook-ja Gayageum playing – … [Read More]
Oh Gee x The Korean Pantry: kimchi workshop + dinner
Ever wanted to make your very own kimchi? Well look no further, as kimchi masters The Korean Pantry are coming to The Hoxton, Shoreditch to teach you how to do just that! Join us on Sunday 24th November (following National Kimchi Day on the 22nd) where founder Cindy will guide you through a hands-on class. … [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
Forever Girls: Necro-cinematics and South Korean Girlhood [forthcoming]
Forever Girls explores girlhood manifest in contemporary South Korean cinema within the conflicting socio-political forces that shaped the nation: coloniality, postcolonial and postwar traumas, modernity, and democracy. Author Jinhee Choi reorients the direction of current scholarship on contemporary South Korean cinema from patriarchy, masculinity and violence, to instead consider girls as a social imaginary. Drawing on … [Read More]
Border of Water and Ice: The Yalu River and Japan’s Empire in Korea and Manchuria
Border of Water and Ice explores the significance of the Yalu River as a strategic border between Korea and Manchuria (Northeast China) during a period of Japanese imperial expansion into the region. The Yalu’s seasonal patterns of freezing, thawing, and flooding shaped colonial efforts to control who and what could cross the border. Joseph A. Seeley shows … [Read More]
The Dynamic Essence of Transmedia Storytelling: A Graphical Approach to the Journey to the West in Korea
The Dynamic Essence of Transmedia Storytelling challenges many established truths about popular literary classics by presenting an analysis of sixty Korean variations of The Journey to the West, a set which includes novels and poems, as well as films, comics, paintings, and dance performances dating from the 14th century until today. In contrast to the typical assumption … [Read More]
Banned Book Club
When Kim Hyun Sook started college in 1983 she was ready for her world to open up. After acing her exams and sort-of convincing her traditional mother that it was a good idea for a woman to go to college, she looked forward to soaking up the ideas of Western Literature far from the drudgery … [Read More]
No Rules Tonight
From the creators of Banned Book Club comes a young adult graphic novel about unveiling secrets, confessing your crushes, and finding yourself: all in the mountains of South Korea on Christmas Eve. It’s time for the annual winter camp at Anjeon University. A full weekend, deep in the mountains, with no parental supervision. But this is no … [Read More]
The Ilse: First-Generation Korean Immigrants in Hawaii, 1903-1973
From the publisher’s website: On January 13, 1903, the first Korean immigrants arrived in Hawai’i. Numbering a little more than a hundred individuals, this group represented the initial wave of organized Korean immigration to Hawai’i. Over the next two and a half years, nearly 7,500 Koreans would make the long journey eastward across the Pacific. … [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.