Donguibogam Village, Sancheong-gun, Friday 13 September, 7am. There’s still a long list of things I have to do before leaving. We have to pay a courtesy call on the mayor to say farewell, plus I want to pay a last visit to the Festival. And of course I need to gather everything together, trying to … [Read More]
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Five from the archive
Book review: Han Yujoo – The Impossible Fairy Tale
Han Yujoo: The Impossible Fairy Tale translated by Janet Hong Graywolf Press, MN, USA 192pp / Tilted Axis Press, UK 352pp / 2017 Originally published as 불가능한 동화 (pub 문학과지성사, 2013) Sometimes, I like having my brain stretched when reading a book: something to get stuck into, to make me think. But there are limits. I … [Read More]
Photos of Danoje: springtime rites at the Bloomsbury
After my lacklustre snaps of Lee Soo Young at the Fairfield Hall on May 1st, I thought it was time I entered the 21st century, and persuaded Louise that we needed a pocket digital camera for my birthday. Last night was its first outing in the service of this site. In case anyone’s interested, they … [Read More]
Korean Artists in London Art Fair 2009
Back in October last year Beccy Kennedy reported from the 4482 show: 40 Korean artists in London under one roof in a single exhibition. This week there are at least six Korean artists under one roof in Islington, represented by four galleries. Exhibiting in the London Art Fair are Albemarle Gallery (Lee Jaehyo and Park … [Read More]
The LKL 2012 Korea Trip – introduction
For the past couple of years my Korea trip has been scheduled for the beginning of May, to coincide with the Sancheong herbal medicine festival and the Jongmyo rituals. This year, I thought I’d try something different, and planned a visit to the Tongyeong International Music Festival. A trip to that port city, location for … [Read More]
Recent Posts
July events
July is another relatively busy month with plenty to satisfy most tastes. So far, my personal priorities are the KCC’s exhibition featuring works by members of the Korean National Academy of Arts, the discussion-concert by the “Godfather of K-pop” in Oxford, and I might be tempted to re-watch the psychological thriller Sleep when it comes … [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]
2024 Festival of Korean Dance programme details announced
Last year, the Festival of Korean Dance for the first time played to audiences in Salford, Coventry and Brighton. The year the festival extends its reach into Scotland, with its first performance in Glasgow. Salford, Newcastle and Bournemouth will also get to experience one of the productions. The full press release follows, with links at … [Read More]
Review: Hera Hyesang Park’s stunning London debut
When faced with the choice of attending a recital by an opera singer I usually politely decline, whatever the reputation of the singer. The prospect of what is usually a selection of operatic arias performed outside of their dramatic context holds little appeal for me, particularly if the recital is accompanied by a piano reduction … [Read More]
Youngsun Yoon’s Kiss: a minimalist study in the difficulty of communicating
Over the years, Londoners have had a few, but not many, opportunities to see the work of a Korean playwright on stage. The count increases if you include musicals or performances in provincial theatres or at the Edinburgh fringe, where each year you can normally find at least one 50-minute Korean stage production, but if … [Read More]
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Recent Event updates
Madmans Esprit European tour in London
Madmans Esprit, the five-piece South Korean black metal band formed by vocalist Kyuho Lee, is coming to London as part of a six-country European tour – “The world as collective reflections”. Emerging from the vibrant underground music scene of Seoul, Madmans Esprit is the brainchild of enigmatic artist Kyuho. With a lineup of session musicians, … [Read More]
XG “The first HOWL” tour in Manchester and London
XG is a 7-member HIPHOP/R&B-inspired Japanese girl group based in South Korea. The band consists of JURIN, CHISA, HINATA, HARVEY, JURIA, MAYA, and COCONA. They debuted in March 2022 with their 1st Single “Tippy Toes” under the global entertainment production company “XGALX,” known for creating artist groups with a unique worldview and broadcasting a “BOLD” … [Read More]
W24 Born Again tour in Europe
W24 (World 24hours), which debuted in 2018 with “Get Your Jumper Out,” is a four-piece band composed of Jung Ho-won (leader, vocals), Kim Jong-gil (drums), Kim Yoon-so (guitar), and Aaron Park (keyboards/serving in the military). As a talented artist who not only writes and composes all the songs on the album, but also records and … [Read More]
DPR: The Dream Reborn World Tour 2024
DPR ARTIC Joined DPR in 2019 and started to become known to fans with his DPR DJ performances starting with Head in the Clouds LA 2019. Later, in 2021, he co-produced the campaign video song “SYNC” for the SYNC PACK, a collaboration campaign with DPR and Adidas and the theme song “Set It Off” for … [Read More]
NCT Dream Dream()Scape tour in London
NCT DREAM captures the essence of youth through their music and performances. The group has not only peaked on various music charts and shows but was also the only Asian artist to be named Billboard’s ’21 Under 21: Music’s Next Generation’ for three consecutive years from 2018 to 2020, as well as the only Asian … [Read More]
The BOYZ Zeneration II tour in London
The eleven members of The Boyz return to Wembley Arena for their third London headline appearance, as part of their Zeneration II World Tour. In July they tour the US; August takes them to various venues in Asia; and in September they have two stops in Europe: 13 September in Paris and 15 September in … [External Link]
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
The Language of Hallyu: More than Polite
The Language of Hallyu will re-examine the language of the Korean Wave by looking at popular K-content. In doing so, it will expose the meanings that get lost in translation, hidden under subtitles. Over the past decade, hallyu (the Korean wave) has exploded in popularity around the globe. K-films, K-drama, and K-pop were once small subcultures, known mostly … [Read More]
Tastes Like War
A Korean American daughter’s exploration of food and family history, in order to understand her mother’s schizophrenia. Grace M. Cho grew up as the daughter of a white American merchant marine and the Korean bar hostess he met abroad. They were one of few immigrants in a xenophobic small town during the Cold War, where … [Read More]
Same Bed Different Dreams
A wild, sweeping novel that imagines an alternate secret history of Korea and the traces it leaves on the present—loaded with assassins and mad poets, RPGs and slasher films, pop bands and the perils of social media In 1919, far-flung patriots establish the Korean Provisional Government to protest the Japanese occupation of their country. This … [Read More]
Starry Field: A Memoir of Lost History
“Absorbing…Starry Field reminds us that even knowing where we came from won’t tell us where we’re going – but it will help along the way.” Susan Choi, National Book Award winning author of Trust Exercise A poignant memoir for readers who love Pachinko and The Return by journalist Margaret Juhae Lee, who sets out on a search for her family’s history … [Read More]
Y/N
Surreal, hilarious, and shrewdly poignant—a novel about a Korean American woman living in Berlin whose obsession with a K-pop idol sends her to Seoul on a journey of literary self-destruction. It’s as if her life only began once Moon appeared in it. The desultory copywriting work, the boyfriend, and the want of anything not-Moon quickly … [Read More]
Everything Good Dies Here: Tales from the Linker Universe and Beyond [forthcoming]
Introducing English readers to the speculative fiction of pseudonymous author Djuna, whose writings and interventions into internet culture have attracted a cult following in South Korea The stories brought together in this collection introduce for the first time in English the dazzling speculative imaginings of Djuna, one of South Korea’s most provocative SF writers. Whether … [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.